Bengaluru: With just a month left for the Zilla and Taluk Panchayat polls, the state government on Thursday released Rs 189 crore for 189 rural Assembly constituencies to implement the Grama Vikasa Yojana.
Sources in the government disclosed that the reason behind releasing the funds to Gram Panchayats at this juncture was to keep rural voters in good stead ahead of the polls. Each Assembly constituency will get Rs 1 crore in 2015-2016 to take up Grama Vikasa programmes. Five GPs and 5,000 people are covered under each Assembly segment, said Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister H.K. Patil.
Addressing media persons here on Thursday, Mr Patil said under the first phase, 1000 gram panchayats will be covered by Grama Vikasa Yojana. After consulting MLAs of each constituency, the Gram Sabha will take a decision on the projects to be taken up. Roads, drainage and upgradation of mud roads will be given priority under the project, Mr Patil said.
CM Siddaramaiah had said that Grama Vikasa Yojana will be a three-year project, however MLAs and MLCs have requested him to extend the programme to five years. Over 3 years, Rs 1,000 crores will be spent on Grama Vikasa Yojana.
Each gram panchayat will get Rs. 0.75 crore, Mr. Patil said. Meanwhile, to provide better services to the rural masses, the government has decided to make 43 services online from March, 2016. The introduction of online services will help the public get access to speedy services while paying taxes, seeking permission to construct buildings and to secure individual benefits, Mr Patil added.
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