From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Sep 14: Former president Dr A P J Abdul Kalam’s pet project, PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas), is all set to be transformed into a new scheme – Kalampura – under Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa.

The chief minister unveiled his new idea during the course of his reply to the three-day debate on ``Agriculture and Rural Development’’ in the state legislative assembly on Monday.

Physical, social and financial infrastructure facilities available in cities would be provided along with communication network at the level of Hobli (villages of a taluk grouped into smaller clusters), the chief minister said indicating that the scheme would be implemented in 200 hoblis in rural assembly segments..

A detailed project report on the initiative would be started this year itself, he said. With reference to a recent letter addressed to Dr Kalam by the Government on rural development and providing urban amenities in rural areas , the former president had sent a 20-page note which could be considered for implementation.

Based on the report, clusters of villages would be developed based on Dr Kalam’s vision and a consultative meeting would be organised with the former president along with Ministers and officials, before preparing the next year’s budget, Yeddyurappa announced.

The chief minister said the government would amend the Land Revenue Act to recognise farm-dependent industries, godowns and cold storage units as agriculture-allied activity and conversion of land up to five acres would not be necessary for them.

Encouragement of food processing industries outside district headquarters would be the main objective.

As per the government’s industrial policy for 2009-14, he said support grants were restricted to certain zones but this limitation would be removed in respect of agriculture-dependent industries in all the 164 taluks out of the total of 176 barring 12 developed ones and they would be given 25 per cent support grants subject to a maximum of Rs 30 lakh.

This support grant will be extended to setting up of godowns and cold storage units also. Four mega markets with sorting, cold storage and packing facilities, would be set up with private sector participation as part of the plans to give a boost to horticulture. A horticulture export zone would be established near the Bangalore International Airport, he said.

The chief minister said all the 36 new schemes aimed at Agriculture and Rural Development would be targeted to check migration of people from rural areas to cities. He announced the setting up of a high-level committee under his chairmanship and comprising Ministers, top officials and experts in the field to oversee the development of rural areas of the State.

``We will also seek the Opposition’s cooperation in this endeavour; let us rise above our political affiliations in the interests of serving the people,’’ he said.

The chief minister said a special rural roads development plan would be implemented this year and nearly 10,000 km of rural roads would be upgraded over the next two years. The Government had also evolved a plan to provide rural housing and had earmarked Rs 100 crore for the programme.

Yeddyurappa said the Government would make optimum use of NREGA, a Central Government scheme for the benefit of the rural population. In the current year, the Government planned to spend about Rs 2,000 crore under NREGA compared to Rs 442 crore last year which was much better than the previous year when the State hardly made use of the NREGA fund.

"I accept that we are way behind in utilsing NREGA funds as compared to neighbouring State of Andhra Pradesh,’’ he said making it clear that the government would spare no efforts in implementing NREGA.

He indicated that the Karnataka Civil Service and Rules will be amended and to ensure that all government personnel were at their work places on time and also remained in the headquarters.

Making shocking revelations on coal purchases and transportation of indigenously mined coal from some mines in Orissa pertaining to Raichur thermal power station since 2002, he ordered a judicial inquiry by a retired judge of the high court to probe all matters and submit a report to the Government. The period for the probe will also include that of the present Government.

Even in the purchases of indigenous coal, although there is a rail link from Orissa to Raichur, the coal was transported by sea from the Paradip port to Chennai and thereafter carried by rail to Raichur, a detour of nearly 350 kms, he said pointing out that a large quantum of coal that was purchased for the RTPS was also washed, a procedure that cost the Government nearly Rs 500 crore every year or roughly Rs 3500 crore during the last seven years.

All these need to be probed since it involves public money. The same set of companies had been engaged for seven years in washing coal for the RTPS. ``I do not want to say anything more and it is for the judicial commission to probe. The presiding officer for the inquiry will be named shortly and the terms of references will also be announced,’’ he said.

A few weeks before the present Government took charge, the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited had floated tenders six lakh tonnes of coal imports. Thereafter, the Government gave a direct order to the MMTC, a central undertaking, to supply coal and this was challenged before the Supreme Court. The Government then floated tenders again to enable coal imports.

With reference to recent purchases of coal, he said 17 States were paying much more than what the state was presently paying for coal. The State is now paying Rs 4180 per tonne while Andhra Pradesh is paying Rs 5550 per tonne and Tamil Nadu Rs 4880 per tonne. Following the electricity shortage and the comparatively low storage of water in the hydel reservoirs during the last season, the Union Government had called upon the State to go in for coal imports as required by each State, he said.

The chief minister has also ordered an inquiry by the State Lokayukta into the issue of ration cards for Below the Poverty Line families to look into complaints of undeserving persons being granted ration cards. The Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, the Chairman of the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission and the State Lokayukta while participating in a programme over the weekend had referred to the BPL scheme, he said explaining the reason for the lokayukta probe.

The two houses of the Karnataka legislature will again meet for a 20 day session in November, the chief minister announced.