HKDB focuses on watershed, forest projects

RAICHUR: The Hyderabad-Karnataka Development Board (HKDB) has decided to increase allocation for watershed development and afforestation projects following the failure of rain last year.
After a review meeting here on Tuesday, HKDB Chairman N.S. Bhosraj told reporters the thrust now was watershed and forest in all the five districts coming under its jurisdiction and added 20 per cent of the funds will be earmarked to prepare ground and also an action plan.
Bhosraj clarified that funds allocated by the Karnataka government but not used within the stipulated time will not lapse, unlike the practice prevalent in ZPs.Unutilised funds will remain in the account.
The officials are conducting inspections once in three months to see if there are any defects or works of substandard quality during execution of project. The HKDB has directed the DCs of all five districts to pay surprise visit and take action, if needed, against contractors for substandard work. Till date, only one work in Bidar was found wanting in quality. Also, the HKDB has not received complaints in this regard, he added.
On the recommendations made by the High-powered Committee for Redressal of Regional Imbalance headed by economist D.M. Nanjundappa, he said the HKDB has been “lauded’’ for its role and claimed that the people of the region are “happy’’ with its work. The committee has recommended earmarking Rs 6,004 crore within eight years just to set right the imbalance.
HKDB Secretary V.P. Hiremath, Lingasugur MLA Amaregouda Bayyapur and other officials were present at the press conference.
Rs 128 crore for district: The Hyderabad-Karnataka Development Board (HKDB) has spent Rs 128.4 crore on projects in Raichur district in the last three years, according priority to education, irrigation, roads and bridges, health, social welfare and electricity.
A maximum of Rs 43.8 crore has been spent on infrastructure, Rs 187.94 lakh on education, Rs 58.38 lakh on irrigation, Rs 61.3 crore on rural development and panchayat raj, Rs 26 lakh on health, Rs 1.19 crore on power and Rs 9.82 crore on social welfare.
In the last 12 years, the percentage of work carried by the HKDB is 26.5 per cent in roads and bridges, 3.8 per cent in irrigation, 8.74 per cent in education, 43.14 per cent in rural development and panchayat raj, 4.47 per cent in drinking water, 2.01 per cent in co-operative societies, 3.35 per cent in health, 3.28 per cent in electricity, 0.16 per cent in youth services, 3.68 per cent in social welfare and 2.47 per cent in other development works.
Funds to the tune of Rs 623.82 crore has been spent by the HKDB ever since it was established.During the 2000-01 fiscal, Rs 542 lakh has been sanctioned and utilised for various works in Raichur district.
The break-up is: Rs 226.1 lakh for roads and bridges, Rs 196 lakh for irrigation, Rs 4.13 lakh for education, Rs 300 lakh for rural development and panchayat raj and Rs 10 lakh for other projects.
The grants for development projects in Raichur District are being increased by the year.
A sum of Rs 13.91 crore was provided for 2001-02: For roads and bridges (Rs 367.84 lakh), irrigation (Rs 3.48 lakh), education (Rs 8.82 lakh), RDPR (Rs 700 lakh), power and energy (Rs 5.56 lakh), social welfare (Rs 20.64 lakh) and other works (Rs 23.92 lakh).
To address regional imbalance, the HKDB has taken adequate and has so far released Rs 731.04 lakh. The details are: Rs 232.63 lakh for roads and bridges, Rs 6.3 lakh for education, Rs 400 lakh for RDPR, Rs 67.75 lakh for social welfare and Rs 19.99 lakh for other works.
Gulbarga
TT tourney: The Karnataka government, Education Department and the National Union of School Sports have jointly organised the 48th National School Games Table Tennis tournament at Gulbarga from January 31 to February5, said Lakshminarayan, Gulbarga DC here on Tuesday.
At a press conference, the DC said, around 1,265 students from 36 states would participate in the tournament.
He said, the state government has released Rs. 5 lakh for the purpose.