Bengaluru, Sep 3 (PTI) The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday sanctioned Rs 25 crore for fodder-related measures in drought-hit areas and approved the allocation of 4,500 electric buses to Bengaluru and other parts of the state.
It also cleared a slew of measures covering agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, education and regional connectivity.
The Cabinet approved the fodder allocation for purchase and cultivation of fodder and distribution of fodder seed kits through the Animal Husbandry Department. The department can procure fodder from outside the state as well as from farmers who have grown it.
On the electric buses, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said 4,500 buses of different types have been sanctioned under the Centre’s PM E-DRIVE programme, with tenders already called and decisions taken for six companies.
“There is no contribution from us in this. They will allocate them to the state. Maintenance and all that will be our responsibility,” he briefed reporters after the Cabinet meeting.
The buses will be deployed in Bengaluru as well as other parts of Karnataka, with the state government deciding their distribution. The cost of each bus is expected to be between Rs 12 crore and Rs 15 crore, Parameshwara said.
The Cabinet also approved measures to address the continuing drought situation, with 101 taluks already declared drought-hit based on the Centre’s Drought Manual 2020.
Another 50-60 taluks may qualify in the second round, with the government expected to complete the process in the coming days.
Parameshwara said the state would prepare a memorandum on drought losses and submit it to the Centre later this month.
Last year, Karnataka had estimated losses of Rs 39,000 crore and sought Rs 18,000 crore from the Centre, but received Rs 3,500 crore after approaching the Supreme Court, he said.
So far, Rs 1,229 crore has been sanctioned under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), though the amount has not yet been released, Parameshwara said.
The state has been meeting immediate requirements from its own resources, including Rs 187 crore for drinking water and Rs 329 crore kept with Deputy Commissioners for drinking water, works and fodder in eligible drought-hit taluks, he explained.
Overall, the situation is very serious this time, Parameshwara said, adding that rainfall by the second week of September could provide some relief in terms of water and fodder availability.
The Cabinet approved an Export Promotion Programme for agricultural and horticultural produce, with the Karnataka State Agricultural Produce Processing and Export Corporation proposing to spend Rs 59 crore over three years on financial assistance to exporters, market facilities and quality assurance.
The Cabinet also approved a Rs 46-crore programme to digitally integrate 182 government hospitals, comprising 47 taluk hospitals and 135 community health centres. The system will cover patient registration, treatment, diagnosis and pharmacy services.
A comprehensive trauma-care programme was also cleared at an estimated cost of about Rs 46 crore, including 100 Basic Life Support ambulances, three CT scan machines and 13 portable devices for detecting brain injuries.
The Cabinet approved development of Visvesvaraya University College of Engineering (UVCE), Bengaluru, on the lines of an IIT at a cost of Rs 249 crore. The project will be funded from around Rs 600 crore recently returned to Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) after a legal dispute.
It also approved a Rs 2,000-crore government guarantee to the Karnataka State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank for refinancing through NABARD during 2026-27.
Infrastructure approvals included Rs 137.92 crore in principle for widening a road in Maddur, with the road and land acquisition components referred to a technical committee for reconsideration. A bridge costing about Rs 70 crore was approved in Kagwad taluk of Belagavi district.
The Cabinet sanctioned Rs 61 crore for roads and drainage in rehabilitation-type Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe colonies at Taraka near the Kabini reservoir.
It also approved Rs 115 crore for a lift irrigation project to fill 137 tanks in Guddada Mallapur, Haveri district, and Rs 56 crore to fill 12 tanks in Aland taluk of Kalaburagi district using water from the Bori river.
The state also received approval to participate in the Modified Regional Connectivity Scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and to execute a memorandum of understanding with the Centre and the Airports Authority of India to strengthen regional air connectivity wherever airports are available.
The Cabinet approved Rs 25 crore for hostel facilities under the Social Welfare Department, including cots, coir mats, pillows and solar water heaters. Similar facilities, including CCTV systems, heat pumps and laboratories, will be provided in hostels run by the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society.
It also approved the installation of a Sri Maharshi Valmiki statue within Ballari City Corporation limits, with the corporation bearing the cost. PTI GMS KH
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.