ENARADA,Bangalore, July 12, 2013:
After the Re one-a-kg “Anna Bhagya Yojane” for BPL card holders, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has sought to woo farmers and backward classes.
In the “revised” 2013-14 budget in the Legislative Assembly today, he announced loans to farmers at zero per cent up to Rs Two lakh and enhancement of creamy layer limit of backward classes by Rs one lakh.
It would be at the interest rate of one per cent for Rs two lakh to Rs three lakh from cooperative institutions. Earlier, short term loan up to Rs one lakh was provided at zero per cent interest and at one per cent interest from Rs one lakh to Rs three lakh.
The creamy layer limit of Backward Classes would be enhanced from the existing Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh. Caste wise, social and education survey of all castes will be undertaken through Permanent Backward Classes Commission.
To encourage enrolment and attendance of girls in first standard in government schools, Rs two would be given to girls for each day’s attendance.
The Government intends to provide scholarship and free education to students, whose parents are affected with HIV/Leprosy, for higher education, according to the budget, which also said free ten sanitary napkin pads would be provided to 32.50 lakh females.
A new scheme called “Manaswini” would be introduced to provide monthly pension of Rs 500 to the unmarried women below poverty line who have crossed the age of 40 years and for divorced women below the poverty line.
A new scheme “Mythri” would be launched for providing monthly pension of Rs 500 to transgenders.
Siddaramaiah announced that a special purpose vehicle — Bangalore Sub-Urban Rail Corporation — would be set up for implementing the Rs 8,759 crore project.
The government had done a feasibility study for suburban rail system connecting Bangalore to the neighbouring districts of Tumkur and Ramnagaram, among others.
The project is expected to cost Rs 8,759 crore. A detailed project report for phase-I will be prepared.
Construction of pedestrian sky-walks for the safety of pedestrians crossing the road would be taken up in Bangalore at a cost of Rs 100 crore.
Metroline from Sampige Road to Peenya covering 10.5 kms would be made operational by October. Clearance from Government of India for the “Namma Metro” works of Phase II covering 72 kms at a cost of Rs 26,405 crore is expected shortly, the Chief Minister said.
A project to remodel and develop four major storm water valleys — Challaghata, Hebbala, Koramangala and Vrushabhavathi — covering 857 kms within the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) area would be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore.
At present, 14 sewage treatment plants are functioning to treat the waste water generated in the city. Ten more treatment plants of latest technology would be established in another three years which would help treat additional 336 million litres a day of waste water.
Development of peripheral ring road in the city would be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 2,250 crore with Japan International Cooperation Agency loan assistance. “Land acquisition process will be speeded up”, he said.
The government will be launching a pilot scheme on MG Road and Brigade Road here for providing Wi-Fi services to the public. Similar pilot schemes are proposed to be launched also in Hubli-Dharwad, Mangalore and Mysore.
It is proposed to increase exports in the information technology sector from the current level of Rs 1.35 lakh crore to Rs four lakh crore by 2020.
It is proposed to establish Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Dharwad at an estimated capital expenditure of of Rs 128 crore for which the Government of India has given ‘in-principle’ approval. The State government will contribute Rs 45 crore.
The government also proposed to set up incubation centres for ICT sector in collaboration with engineering colleges in selected district headquarters to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation in this sector.
“It is proposed provide Mobile IT labs to create interest in Information Technology and to enhance knowledge of the school children”, the Chief Minister said. “A grant of Rs two crore will be provided for this purpose”.
e-District project would be launched in the State to initially enable nine Government departments to automate and eletronically deliver 132 citizen services. State portal and State Delivery Gateway (SSDG) project would be launched to provide a single window for citizen services.
Video-Conferencing facilities would be provided in all talukas under Karnataka State Wide Area Network Project. 46 Citizen Service Centres would be opened in 10 cities of Karnataka. Common Service Centres for providing citizen services would be launched in all Grama Panchayats.
