GULBARGA: The Government will launch the "Swarna Jala" and "Kugrama-Swarna Grama" schemes throughout the State to commemorate the golden jubilee celebrations of the formation of Karnataka starting from November 1 this year.

The schemes to be launched on November 1 simultaneously in all districts aim at popularising rainwater harvesting among people and optimising the use of rainwater in the State. They are also aimed at providing basic amenities in select backward villages.

Funds

Gulbarga Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Pankajkumar Pandey told a press conference here that Swarna Jala is designed to cover villages having a minimum population of 1,000. Besides providing funds for people to build rainwater-harvesting structures in their houses, the programme aims at enabling 23,683 government schools to harvest rainwater.

He said the Government has decided to make it compulsory for all new houses in rural areas to have rainwater-harvesting structures. In every taluk, one "Nava Grama" or Ashraya colony will be selected for the construction of a demonstration rainwater harvesting structure at a cost of Rs. 1 lakh each, he added.

Mr. Pandey said the Government has decided to establish a rainwater harvesting resource centre in all district headquarters, and Rs. 1 lakh each will be earmarked for this. In Gulbarga district, the centre will be established at Kaligi village in Chitapur taluk.

Harvesting structures

The Government has also decided to take up construction of rainwater harvesting structures called "Swarna Ane" in 50 taluks in the State under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF). A proposal has been submitted to NABARD to provide Rs. 20 crores under the fund, he said and added that each of the 50 taluks in the State will be provided Rs. 40 lakhs. In Gulbarga district, nine taluks have been selected under the programme and each of them will be provided Rs. 40 lakhs to take up construction of rainwater harvesting structures. Mr. Pandey said that in the district, 82 check dams and rainwater-harvesting structures will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 3.6 crores in nine taluks.

Mr. Pandey said that under the Kugrama-Swarna Grama programme to be implemented in all the 27 districts in the State, the Government proposes to provide Rs. 20 lakhs each to select villages to take up development activities and improve infrastructure facilities in the village.

In Gulbarga district, the scheme will be implemented in rural areas in 12 Assembly constituencies. In each of the Assembly constituencies, one gram panchayat has been selected for the implementation of the programme. He said the zilla panchayaton the recommendation of legislators, has selected 12 villages in each of the constituencies for the implementation of the scheme. Already, Rs. 20 lakhs has been released by the Government for the purpose.

Gram sabhas of the respective gram panchayats have been given powers to select works.

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