The Hindu : Water, sanitation project for local bodies around Bangalore

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 06, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Water, sanitation project for local bodies around Bangalore

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, FEB. 5. The Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, has earmarked Rs. 30 crore in the State Budget for 2004-05 for the Greater Bangalore Water and Sanitation Project for providing water supply and sanitation to the urban local bodies surrounding the city.

The project envisages a novel mix of resources through beneficiary capital contributions, State Government grants, and market borrowings without government guarantee but with credit support from USAID. The project will be executed with the involvement of the private sector. The project will provide water supply and sanitation to 1.2 million people in the Greater Bangalore Area.

To give boost to the tourism sector, Mr. Krishna proposed to establish four airstrips at Mysore, Hampi, Bijapur, and Gulbarga through public-private partnership. The Mysore airstrip will be made operational before Dasara in October 2004. He set aside Rs. five crore for the new airstrips.

Mr. Krishna also provided Rs. 10 crore for prevention of sea erosion.

Referring to the road cess and the infrastructure cess levied by the Government on all commodities, Mr. Krishna said goods of mass consumption and diesel and petrol were exempted from this cess to prevent additional burden on the common man. This would give a relief of Rs. 400 crore to the people.

In another step to remove regional imbalances in the State, Mr. Krishna said the Government intended to establish a separate Water Supply Board for Gulbarga division. The Hyderabad Karnataka Development Board would be reconstituted as the North Karnataka Development Board with the Development Commissioner, North Karnataka, as Chairman. All other area development boards would be wound up.

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