The Hindu : Front Page : Rs.12.24 crores for Tiruchi

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Monday, Sep 15, 2008
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Rs.12.24 crores for Tiruchi

Special Correspondent

Under Rural Infrastructure Scheme

Tenders already called
Over 1,020 works to be taken up

TIRUCHI: The State government has allotted Rs.12.24 crores for Tiruchi district under the Rural Infrastructure Scheme.

The State government has introduced the Rural Infrastructure Scheme this year in the wake of the extension of the National Rural Employment Guarantee to all districts and the discontinuation of the Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY).

The discontinuation of the SGRY has deprived district panchayats and panchayat unions funds for infrastructure development. While village panchayats were getting 50 per cent of the allocation under the SGRY, panchayat unions got 30 per cent and district panchayats were earmarked 20 per cent. The new scheme would compensate for the discontinuation of the SGRY, district officials said.

The State government has decided to allot funds for the Rural Infrastructure Scheme from the State Finance Commission grants in the ratio of 67:22:11 for village panchayats, panchayat unions and district panchayats.

Under the Rural Infrastructure Scheme, the minimum allocation for district panchayat will be Rs.50 lakh, Rs.10 lakh for panchayat unions and Rs.1 lakh for village panchayats. However, the panchayat bodies are likely to get a much higher allocation depending on the population under each of them. Road laying works, street lights, construction of threshing floors, anganwaids and noon meal centres would be among the works to be taken under the scheme.

During the current year, over 1,020 works would be taken up under the scheme in Tiruchi district this year. Of them, 678 works have been sanctioned for village panchayats at an estimated cost of Rs. 6.78 crore and 254 works for panchayat unions at a cost of Rs.3.65 crore. The remaining Rs.1.80 crore would be spent on 89 works by the district panchayat.

Tenders for the works have already been called and the work orders would be issued soon, said J. Dhanasekaran, Project Officer, District Rural Development Agency.

This apart, the district administration is also compiling proposals for development works in various local bodies to be taken up under the Centrally-sponsored Bharat Nirman Scheme. The Highways Department in the district has already been sanctioned Rs.27.56 crore for developing 18 roads under the Bharat Nirman Scheme.

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