Bengaluru, Mar 19 (DHNS): The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department has introduced a scheme in the name of environmentalist Salumarada Thimmakka.

Under the ‘Salumarada Thimmakka Neralu Scheme’ saplings will be planted along 3,000 km of roads in the State and it will be maintained for five years under MGNREGA.

Moreover, under the same scheme, new horticultural areas will be developed in 10,000 acres. Development works for mulberry cultivation will be undertaken in 3,000 acres afresh in the lands belonging to individual eligible beneficiaries. 

The RDPR department has been allocated Rs 13,018 crore in the budget to carry out various developmental works including providing drinking water, laying village roads for the fiscal year 2016-17.

The fund allocated for the development of rural roads steadily increased in this budget to Rs 3,609 crore which was Rs 1,317 in 2012-13. The budget said that steps will be taken to implement the Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Act, which was introduced in the last session aiming to bring self reliance, mutual trust, dignity and equality in rural living.

Under ‘Namma Grama Namma Rasthe’ scheme, all-season roads will be constructed in 189 rural legislative assembly constituencies. In this, 6-km-length road will be laid in SC population areas and it is 3-km-length road in ST populated areas.

An amount of Rs 1,980 crore was allocated to take up multi-village water supply schemes, borewells, water purification units and other works in the next fiscal. Funds also allocated for re-construction work on a few heritage-valued villages. To make panchayat raj secretariat and zilla panchayat offices paperless, Rs 30 crore was allocated.

With Agency Inputs