K'taka's revenue collections rise 30%

Collection of revenues in Karnataka under categories like commercial tax, state excise, stamp duty, registration and motor vehicle tax from March to November 2006 aggregated Rs 14,883.43 crore as against Rs 11,427.46 crore during the previous corresponding period, registering a growth of 30.24 per cent, state deputy chief minister B S Yediyurappa said.

Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Yediyurappa said that Rs 40 crore had already been earmarked for the second vented dam at Thumbe to address the drinking water problem in Mangalore city.

A fund of Rs 30 crore had already been sanctioned for works on NH 17 and NH 48. Repair works in the Shiradi Ghat area would begin within a fortnight, he informed.

The Bhagyalakshmi deposit scheme was set to benefit nearly one lakh new born baby girls by January 2007. Nearly 2.5 lakh school boys would also benefit form the 'bicycle' scheme at a cost of Rs 45 crore. Apart from budgetary allocations, a sum of Rs 2,000 crore had been spent on minor irrigation works, village development and the like, he added.

District in-change minister, B Nagaraja Shetty informed that Rs 4 crore had already been sanctioned to revive the Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation (KFDC).

The state government had already issued loans worth Rs 1 crore to fishermen at 4 per cent interest and would allot 10,000 houses under the 'Matsya Ashraya' scheme to fishermen by March next year, he said.