BANGALORE: Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday told the Legislative Assembly that the subsidy for drip irrigation would be enhanced from 50 per cent to 75 per cent to farmers cultivating agricultural crops from the coming financial year.

So far, 75 per cent subsidy was provided for drip irrigation to farmers cultivating horticulture crops.

To a question of R. Dhruvanarayana (Congress), Mr. Yediyurappa said funds for providing 75 per cent subsidy for drip irrigation for agricultural crops would be earmarked in the State Budget for 2007-08.

Earlier, Horticulture Minister Shashikanth Naik said the existence of a large number of vacancies in the Horticulture Department for the past several years had affected implementation of National Horticulture Mission in the State.

Inadequate staff had hit the National Horticulture Mission programme in the State. The Centre had released Rs. 133.5 crore in 2006-07 and but only Rs. 79.4 crore had been spent so far. Only recently, the State Cabinet decided to fill 500 vacancies in the department. The Mission was now covering 17 districts, he said.

BPL cards

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Govind Karjol said the below poverty line (BPL) cards had been given to 53,85,258 households. Although there were about 1.10 crore families in the State, the department had received 1.25 crore applications seeking BPL cards, he said.

Replying to a question of Badarli Hampanagouda (Congress), Mr. Karjol said the department had conducted an inquiry into lapses in the distribution of ration cards to eligible beneficiaries. He would give full details about the inquiry report in a few days, the Minister said.

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