Shimla: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) today sanctioned Rs 110.27 crore for creation of rural infrastructure in Himachal Pradesh. The funds have been allocated under NABARD’s Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) – Tranche XVI. So far the apex rural bank has sanctioned a total of Rs 179.25 crore to the hill state for the year 2010-11.
An NABARD spokesman said that Rs 65.42 crore had been sanctioned for the construction of 10 bridges and 28 rural roads . The roads and bridges are to be constructed in Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Bilaspur, Chamba, Solan, Una districts.
Under these projects, 80 kilometers of all-weather roads, 58 kms of kutcha roads and 10 bridges with total span of 478 metres will be constructed, he said.
On completion of these roads and bridges, 221 villages will benefit directly or indirectly with a population of 70,348 and these would provide connectivity to 123 rural and urban marketing centres, he aded.
Another Rs 27.84 crore had been sanctioned for developing 26 Minor Irrigation Projects and Rs 6.25 crore for the access of rural habitations to 14 Rural Drinking Water Supply Projects.
The Minor Irrigation Projects would be implemented in Bilaspur ,Hamirpur, Chamba, Kangra , Shimla, Una and Mandi Districts while the Rural Drinking Water Projects will be implemented in Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Sirmour, Una and Mandi districts.
The Minor Irrigation schemes would provide assured irrigation for 1947.49 hectares and would boost agriculture production while the drinking water projects will benefit a ultimate population of 36,475. The Rural Drinking Water Supply projects are envisaged to supply 70 lpcd of drinking water.
The bank has also sanctioned Rs 10.76 crore for constructing two Central Veterinary Dispensaries & 109 Veterinary Dispensary Projects.
This involves the construction of Central Veterinary Dispensaries in Hamirpur and Kullu Districts & Veterinary Dispensaries in Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmour, Solan and Una districts. A total of 109 villages with an animal population of 155,870 would benefitted.
With the above sanctions, NABARD has so far sanctioned Rs 2,871 crore, under all RIDF tranches to the State, of which Rs.1789.97 crore has already been disbursed.
The sanctioned projects cover 1472 irrigation projects, 754 rural roads projects, 216 bridges, 118 watershed projects, 36 flood protection works, 1213 primary school buildings, 64 science laboratories in schools, 25 IT projects, 513 rural drinking water schemes, 397 animal husbandry centres / hospitals, 16500 poly-houses with related minor irrigation structures and more than 20000 hectares of micro irrigation structures, a bank communiqué stated.
