BANGALORE: Keeping the promise made while presenting the budget for 2006-07, the State Government has issued orders to provide agricultural loans to farmers through the cooperative institutions at 4 per cent interest, the lowest in the country.

The Government has fixed May 31 as the deadline for repayment of farm loans under the interest waiver scheme.

Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who announced this here on Friday, told presspersons that the deadline for issuing government orders for the implementation of the 48 schemes and projects announced in the budget was June 30 and by May 15, funds would be released for the programmes.

Mr. Yediyurappa, who also holds Finance portfolio, held a meeting with Finance Department officials and assessed the implementation of the programmes.

Release of funds

He said although he was determined to get the programmes off the ground within three months, it had not been possible because many of the IAS officers were away on election duty in the five States where Assembly elections were on.

From the next quarter, he would ensure that the quarterly release of funds and audit of programme implementation became a reality. It had already begun to happen with the release of Rs. 1,445 crores as the first quarterly release for zilla and taluk panchayats.

Aid for last rites

One of the government orders already issued was to grant Rs. 1,000 to below the poverty line families to conduct the last rites of their relatives.

To implement the National Accident Relief programme, which gave Rs. 10,000 as relief to victims, the Government had issued an order and released Rs. 9 crore for the purpose.

The Government had issued orders to provide 75 per cent subsidy to farmers to buy seeds in some districts.

In the coming week, Mr. Yediyurappa said, the order would be issued to provide 75 per cent subsidy for purchase of drip irrigation tools.

MoU with LIC

The Deputy Chief Minister said the memorandum of understanding to be signed with the Life Insurance Corporation of India for the implementation of the Bhagyalakshmi Scheme for the girl child was being prepared.

Tenders had been invited for supply of bicycles for girls attending school in rural areas.

It had been estimated that bicycles for 2.6 lakh girls would cost Rs. 35 crore.

The bicycles would be distributed in June, he said.

The funds promised for Basavakalyana Development Authority had been released as also for Kaginele, the birthplace of Kanakadasa, he added.

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