Rs. 2.2K Cr Leg-up for Rural Infrastructure Development

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa recently announced several measures for development of rural areas and to upgrade infrastructure facilities, at a total cost of Rs. 2,212.07 crore.

The measures include providing bank loans worth Rs. 6,000 crore to SHGs and their panchayat level federations to benefit 2.5 lakh SHGs, appointment of community banking coordinators, sanctioning Rs. 349.10 crore for rural poverty alleviation societies, creation of 37.54 lakh man-days at Rs. 62.69 crore and setting up of 385 food grain storage centres at Rs. 30.80 crore.

Making a statement under Rule 110 in the State Assembly, she announced the construction of 1,000 overhead tanks at a cost of Rs. 40 crore, installation of 3,000 small motor pumps at a cost of Rs. 45 crore, 100 hand pumps at a cost of Rs. 6 crore and renovation of 10,000 deep borewells at a cost of `101 crore.

She also said that 3,000 anganwadi centres would be built at a cost of Rs. 195 crore and added that 40,680 rural assets like water tanks, libraries etc., would be renovated at a cost of Rs. 200 crore.

Plastic roads would be laid for a distance of 1,600 km at `175 crore. Similarly, 4,460 Village Panchayat Service Centres would be constructed at '648.93 crore. Besides, 150 block-level Rural Service Centres would be constructed at an estimated cost of '45.45 crore.

Stating that 17,638 tricycles would be given to 12,524 village panchayats in the State at a cost of Rs. 44.10 crore for quick clearance of garbage, the Chief Minister said villages with a population of less than 3,000 would be given one tricycle, two tricycles for areas with population between 3,000 and 10,000 and three for those with a population of more than 10,000.

Announcing that new buildings would be constructed at a cost of Rs. 60 crore for 500 village panchayat offices, the Chief Minister said about 1,000 km bus-plying rural roads would be repaired and upgraded at a cost of Rs. 300 crore.


THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS