State to be covered by UID project by December

The Karnataka government today decided to extend the Unique Identification project to all other 28 districts in the state by end of December 2011. Presently, the project is under implementation on a pilot basis in two districts of Tumkur and Mysore by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

Briefing reporters on decisions taken by the state cabinet chaired by chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, higher education minister Dr V S Acharya said the cabinet took into consideration the progress of the project in the two districts and decided to scale up the UID project in other districts by end of the year.

The government has also decided to implement the central sixth pay commission report in government and aided polytechnic colleges in the state for the teaching faculty. The new scales would come into effect from April 1 this year. The pay checks of the faculty in these colleges would go up by two times, he said adding that the implementation would cause a financial burden of Rs 71 crore to the state government.

All polytechnics and government engineering colleges coming under the Department of Technical Education would also be computerised, equipping them with computers, printers, UPS and anti-virus software at a cost of Rs 23 crore, Acharya said. The cabinet also decided to modernise the irrigation canals in Mandagere and Hemagiri at a cost of Rs 141 crore. It has also decided to improve tourism infrastructure at a cost of Rs 6.34 crore at the pilgrim centre of Shravanabelagola, one of the most important Jain pilgrim centres in the country. Hill stations of Nandi hills in Chikkaballapura and Kemmannagundi in Chikmagalur districts have been allocated Rs 31 crore for beautification and improving infrastructure in order to provide basic amenities to the tourists, Acharya said.

Among other decisions, the cabinet gave its nod to allot 4.11 acres to the proposed national ayurvedic food technologies research centre and hospital at Uttarahalli in Bangalore South Taluk, a Central government initiative, at 50 per cent of the land guidance value in the area. It also gave its nod for construction of new office complex to house the offices of deputy commissioner in Bellary district at a cost of Rs 25 crore.