In order to increase the groundwater table in parched land of 20 taluks, the state cabinet of Karnataka approved Rs 600 cr project titled Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agriculture Resilience through Innovative Development (REWARD) with World Bank (WB) assistance. This project will benefit farmers to cultivate in 10 lakh hectares of parched land in 10 districts of Karnataka.
- Notably, the state government would provide Rs 180 crore while the World Bank would extend an assistance of Rs 420 crore for the period of next six years.
Taluks to be covered:
Bagepalli, Challakere, Shikaripur, Gundlupet, Harapanahalli, Sira, Arsikere, Kadur, Bailhongal, Athani, Hirekerur, Hungund, Kundgol, Bagewadi, Ron, Jewargi, Basavakalyan, Manvi, Yelburga, and Shahapur.
Other Approvals by Karnataka Cabinet:
–Taking up tourism infrastructure works at Jog Falls at a cost of Rs120 crore through the Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd.
-Appointment of judges Amarnarayan and H.J. Vijayakumari as additional registrars for the Lokayukta.
-Building of new medical colleges in Haveri and Yadgir at a cost of Rs 327.46 crore and Rs 309 crore, respectively, and building a fishing harbour at a cost of Rs 85 crore at Maravante of Udupi.
— It was also decided to prescribe only an annual rent of Rs 800 an acre that prevailed in 2007 for 10.7 acres of land leased out to Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Trust for setting up Manjunatheshwara Ayurvedic College and Hospital in Udupi.
–The other decisions taken by the Cabinet include continuing the Raitha Suraksha Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana for two years, and extending the term of the Karnataka Agriculture Prices Commission by three more years.
Pre-primary courses in public schools
The 276 public schools in Karnataka will offer pre-primary courses from this academic year itself. Teachers having relevant experience and qualification would be hired to run the proposed LKG and UKG courses.
Recent Related News:
On 26th July 2020, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare announced that the Central Government in collaboration with the World Bank has decided to convert the area of ravines in the region of Gwalior-Chambal belt of Madhya Pradesh into cultivable land.
About Karnataka:
Chief Minister (CM)– Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yediyurappa
Governor– Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala
Capital– Bengaluru
About World Bank:
President– David Robert Malpass
Headquarters– Washington, D.C., United States
Motto– Working for a World Free of Poverty
