GULBARGA: Union Minister of State for Planning M.V. Rajasekharan on Sunday said that the State Government's plea for amending Article 371 was under the consideration of the Union Government and a decision would be announced soon.

Mr. Rajasekharan was responding to questions raised by zilla panchayat member Gurushant Pattedar (Janata Dal-S) at the inauguration of a workshop for zilla panchayat members and presidents and vice-presidents of taluk panchayat on the implementation of the National Employment Guarantee Scheme, to be launched on February 2 in select backward districts of the country.

The Minister said the Karnataka Ministers in the Union Government had pleaded the State's cause with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil.

He said that although north Karnataka was culturally rich, its economic state was bad compared to other districts. The Union Government was also considering the State's plea for sharing 50 per cent of the investment as recommended by the High-Powered Committee on Redressal of Regional Imbalances (HPCRRI) headed by D.M. Nanjundappa and other demands.

Assistance

Mr. Rajasekharan said the per capita income in Gulbarga district, which was Rs. 9,000, was very low. He indicated that the backward districts in the State were likely to get sizeable assistance under the Centrally sponsored Backward Regional Development programme through which Rs. 5,000 crores would be provided for the development of backward regions in the country.

He said the Planning Commission was in the process of finalising the details of the new programme for the development of backward regions in the country, which would be launched shortly. The Minister said the Union Government was aware of the backwardness of the region and would come to its assistance in a big way under different programmes.

Gulbarga district had already been included under the Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana, and this year Raichur district, which was also backward, had been included under the Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana.

Mr. Rajashekaran said the Union Government was also concerned about the huge quantity of horticultural produce going waste due to lack of food processing units and chilling plants in the country. An estimated 60 per cent of the horticultural produce was lost every year due to the absence of the required number of processing units in the country. The Union Government had launched the Rs. 2,300-crore Horticulture Mission in the country to improve the storing facilities and provide assistance to setting up of food processing units.

The Minister said Gulbarga and Bidar districts were best suited for horticulture and awareness should be created among farmers to go in for horticultural crops.

Referring to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, he said it was a revolutionary step taken by the Government. The success of the programme depended on the elected representatives in panchayat raj institutions, he said.

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