The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Rs. 360-crore WB loan to improve capacity of tanks

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 01, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Rs. 360-crore WB loan to improve capacity of tanks

T.S. Ranganna

Agreement to be signed in Delhi tomorrow

Scheme to cover 4,015 tanks under the Jala Samvardhana programme
Panels to select Vice-Chancellors to be formed

Bangalore: The State Government is signing an agreement with the World Bank on November 2 in New Delhi for a Rs. 360-crore long-term loan for increasing the capacity of 4,015 tanks under the Jala Samvardhana programme.

Chief Secretary P.B. Mahishi told The Hindu that the Executive Committee, which met here under the chairmanship of Governor Rameshwar Thakur, had cleared the documents pertaining to the procurement of the loan.

Principal Secretary to the Government and Resident Commissioner Sudhir Kumar and a senior official in-charge of Jala Samvardhana programme will sign the agreement with the World Bank official in the presence of its Country Director.

The funds will be spent on removal of silt from lakes and strengthening their bunds. Mr. Mahishi said that the Department of Minor Irrigation had performed very well in implementing the tank development works. The Union Water Resources Ministry has decided to reimburse 25 per cent of the loan amount to the State Government commending the achievement.

The Committee also decided to appoint search committees to select persons for the posts of vice-chancellors for the Mahila University, Bijapur; Mysore University, Mysore, and Hampi Kannada University, Hampi. The Governor has authorised one of the members of the committee to constitute the search committees, who in turn would select candidates for the post of vice-chancellors.

Each of the committees would comprise one member each from the State Government, the Governor’s office and from the University Grants Commission. The Governor is also the Chancellor of all the universities in the State.

Maize procurement

Another decision taken by the Government related to the procurement of maize at a minimum support price of Rs. 620 a quintal. Mr. Mahishi said that there was a bumper crop of maize, particularly in the north Karnataka region this season. He said that a meeting attended by Principal Secretary to the Government, Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Tara Ajai Singh in his chamber had decided about it a week ago and started procurement. The committee had ratified the decision.

Mr. Mahishi said that the price of maize was coming down drastically to the levels of Rs. 580, Rs. 550 and Rs. 440 at different places and timings and that the Government decided to intervene in the market. He said that the purchase should conform to the fair average quality (FAQ) and added that it would help thousands of farmers in the region. Karnataka is the major producer of maize and the per hectare production of the crop in the State was the highest in the country.

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