Projects worth Rs. 2,673 crore cleared for Gulbarga division

Source: The Hindu
Cabinet clears proposals worth Rs. 4,643 crore throughout the State

The third Cabinet meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party Government in the State in Gulbarga on Monday turned out to be a virtual bonanza with the Government clearing a total projected investment of Rs. 2,673.96 crore for various development activities and infrastructure development in the six districts of the Gulbarga Revenue Division.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who addressed presspersons after the meeting, said the Cabinet gave its approval to proposals worth Rs 4,643.80 crore to implement 55 programmes and projects throughout the State. Of this, projects worth Rs. 2,673.96 crore have been approved in the Gulbarga Revenue division comprising the districts of Gulbarga, Bellary, Bidar, Raichur, Bidar and Koppal.

Prominent projects in the Hyderabad Karnataka region that have been cleared include the post-facto approval for the super-speciality hospital of the Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) in Bellary at a cost of Rs. 80 crore and a regional super-speciality hospital in Gulbarga city under the Private Public Participation (PPP) model.

The Chief Minister announced that an agricultural college would be established at the Agriculture Research Station in Gulbarga from the next academic year. The Cabinet also cleared a special package of Rs. 50 crore for improving basic infrastructure facilities and to increase the educational facilities at VIMS, Bellary.

Mr. Yeddyurappa said the Cabinet gave its approval to release Rs. 920 crore as the State Government's equity of the project cost of Rs 2,123 crore for the second stage of the Niranthara Jyoti Scheme. The 40 per cent of the project cost was the State equity and the remaining amount would be raised through loans to improve power supply system in rural areas and provide 24-hour electricity to villages.

He said administrative approval had been given for taking up 30 projects at a cost of Rs. 553.423 crore under the centrally sponsored NRDWP to provide safe drinking water supply to needy villages in 13 districts in the State. The Cabinet also cleared a drinking water supply scheme worth Rs 7.86 crore to benefit 20 villages in Bellary district.

The Cabinet, besides giving approval for various road development works worth Rs 166.50 crore in Gulbarga district, gave administrative approval for taking up development works amounting to Rs. 146.58 crore in Yadgir district by Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd. It also approved a project to fill 10 tanks in Huvina Hadagali taluk in Bellary district at a cost of Rs. 76.70 crore. Mr. Yeddyurappa said the Cabinet also gave approval to set up a zoo at Hampi in Bellary district at a cost of Rs. 67 crore and Rs. 20 crore would be released during the current year for the purpose.

The Cabinet gave its formal approval for constructing two blocks of 50,000 square feet each Information Technology Park in Gulbarga city and Rs. 21 crore has been released for the purpose. It also gave its approval for releasing Rs. 81 crore to develop 2,400 acres of land for industrial purpose in Gulbarga division.