Pune: The regional office of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has disbursed Rs 7,348.39 crore for agriculture and rural development across the state.

The amount — which is 22% higher than the previous year — has been allotted for the financial year 2012-13. M V Ashok, chief general manager of Nabard regional office, said, “Nabard has also decided to converge the watershed development projects with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS).

The work of the Rs.200 crore worth projects funded by the National Bank for Rural Development (NABARD) aimed at infrastructure development in the endosuflan-affected localities in the district will be inaugurated at Bovikkanam near here on April 5.

The function would be inaugurated by Social Welfare Minister M.K. Muneer and Agriculture Minister K. P. Mohanan, P. Karunakaran, MP, said at a prèss conference here on Tuesday.

Check dams will be constructed on various water bodies in the district for conservation of water, District Panchayat President K.V. Dasan has said.

Addressing a district-level seminar on water conservation organised jointly by various departments and local bodies here on Wednesday he said the dams would be constructed in co-operation with the gram panchayats.