MANGALORE: Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) will launch new programmes related to rural welfare and education during the inauguration of its silver jubilee celebrations at Dharmasthala on April 14, according to its executive director L. H. Manjunath.

Addressing presspersons here on Monday, he said Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat would launch the new programmes and inaugurate the silver jubilee celebrations. Governor T.N. Chaturvedi would preside over the function. Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy, Union Ministers M.V. Rajasekharan and Oscar Fernandes are likely to participate in the function.

The activities of SKDRDP are spread across Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts. It will expand its activities to Shimoga and Chikmagalur districts from the financial year 2007-08. It has promoted 45,756 self-help groups (SHGs) consisting of 4.60 lakh members belonging to small and marginal farmer, labour and women community. Of them 97,000 small and marginal farmers have shared 1,35,17,130 labour mandays to convert 50,000 hectares of barren land into a productive green land.

The SKDRDP took up women empowerment programmes, awareness against addictions, technology transfer programmes for improving the farming practices among weaker sections.

Mr. Manjunath said the Dakshina Kannada Milk Producers' Cooperative Union Limited and the SKDRDP have jointly launched a green fodder development project in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts since 2005-06. Under the scheme, about four lakh tonnes of green fodder have been grown in 2,500 acres of land.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail