The Karnataka government on Monday decided to spend Rs.4,633 crore on 55 projects and programmes in the districts of north Karnataka for all-round development of the backward region.
"To bring about overall development of the Hyderabad-Karnataka region and remove regional imbalances, we have decided to implement 55 projects and programmes involving Rs.4,633 crore," Chief Minister B.S.
The Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD) has proposed to establish in situ conservation sites in 13 districts of the State, where it would collect information about floral biodiversity and document it.
The Centre is also planning to start research and conservation of Rare, Endangered and Threatened (RET) species and link cultural relationship in management of biodiversity.
Jungle Lodges & Resorts (JLR), the state-owned eco-tourism company, is expanding its operations in the state to promote eco-tourism. It plans to open five more resorts in select locations, JLR managing director N D Tiwari said.
The State Government has given instructions to Zilla Panchayat officers to make better use of NREGS funds for rebuilding works in the flood-hit areas. So far, the State has spent Rs 770 crore out of Rs 2,300 crore, the target set for the State in the year 2009-10.
The State government would take up Jala Nirmala scheme at the cost of Rs 1,100 crore in eleven districts of north Karnataka including Bagalkot, Bidar, Belgaum, Bijapur, Dharwad, Gadag, Gulbarga, Haveri, Koppal, Raichur and Uttara Kannada.
Some farmers are considering migrating to other places in search of livelihood owing to the drought in Bidar district, J. Jayaram, chief executive officer of Prawarda, a non-governmental organisation here, has said.
Devu Pattar
At least four decades ago, farmers had hoped that their arid fields would get a fresh lease of life thanks to this dam.
An irrigation project has now been reduced to supplying drinking water to a city. We are talking about the Karanja project that provides drinking water to Bidar.
