Despite financial stress, Karnataka govt keeps focus on agri,

Despite financial stress, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa tried to focus on agriculture and irrigation in his budget for 2020-21, proposing to allocate Rs 500 crore to take up the works of Kalasa and Banduri Nalas under the Mahadayi river Project.

He proposed to waive the interest on default farm loans given for the purchase of agricultural equipment by cooperative banks, benefiting about 92,000 farmers.

The Chief Minister said, the state government is committed to the "speedy continuation" of the much anticipated Mahadayi Project, which is very helpful for the people and farmers of North Karnataka region.

Noting that the central government has issued the notification as per the direction of the Supreme Court, he said, "we congratulate the Central government for this".

In accordance with the notification, the state government will provide Rs 500 crore in 2020-21 to take up the works of Kalasa and Banduri Nalas under the Mahadayi Project.

The Kalasa-Banduri Nala (diversion) project, which will utilise 7.56 tmcft of water from the inter-state Mahadayi river, is to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and the districts of Belagavi and Gadag.

The project involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, the tributaries of the Mahadayi River.

Focusing on irrigation, Yediyurappa said, the government will accord priority to the "Yettinahole Project" to provide safe drinking water expeditiously to the districts of Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Tumakuru, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Chikkaballapura and Kolar which are facing severe scarcity.

A programme has been formulated to complete the Lift component works of the first stage of this project and to commission it on a trial basis in the coming monsoon season, he said, adding that "Rs 1,500 crore will be provided to this project in the year 2020-21."