Rs 550 cr in Karnataka budget for sustainable farming
Bengaluru, July 5: The Karnataka budget for 2018-19 on Thursday allocated Rs 550-crore for progressive and sustainable farming after waiving a whopping Rs 34,000 crore loans of 17-lakh farmer families across the state.
Presenting a pro-farmer budget in the assembly, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who holds the Finance portfolio, told lawmakers that Israeli model of sustainable irrigation could suit the state's farmers in improving their lives.
"I visited Israel last year and studied their farm practices myself. I have no doubt that Israeli model of irrigation would protect the crops and make farmers' lives better," he said in his two-hour long budget speech.
The budget allocated Rs 150 crore for creating Israeli model of irrigation, which makes use of drip irrigation methods to conserve water, in 5,000 hectares of dry land in each of the districts of Kolar, Chitradurga, Koppal and Gadag.
Another Rs 150 crore has been set aside to implement the same model of farming in 5,000 hectares land in each of Karwar, Tumkur, Yadgir and Haveri districts.
The Chief Minister proposed that the state implements zero budget natural farming on the lines of Andhra Pradesh for better yields with lesser investment.
Rs 50 crore was allocated to implement zero budget natural farming in the state, with the support of United Nations Environment Programme which is offering technical assistance through Sustainable India Finance Facility.
The budget also made Rs 190 crore provision for coconut farmers, who have been witnessing unproductive crops due to shortage of rain in the state.
In health sector, the budget made provisions of Rs 10 crore for strengthening drug control, Rs 30 crore for heart, kidney, liver transplantation for the poor, Rs 40 crore for a 300 bed super speciality hospital in Ramanagara, and Rs 200 crore for new hospitals in Gadag, Koppal, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, Belagavi, Mysuru and Kalaburagi.
Mother and child health services and mental health protection services will be integrated with the Emergency Response Services available through ambulance and helpline numbers, Kumaraswamy said.
The Chief Minister announced Rs 150 crore package for infrastructure repairs of state-run primary schools, high schools and pre-university college buildings.
Another Rs 250 crore was set aside for development and infrastructure repairs of state-run graduate and post-graduate colleges.
Classes in English medium will be held along with Kannada in 1,000 state-run primary schools on an experiment basis, which will attract children to state-run schools, Kumaraswamy said.
The budget provided Rs 5 crore to install biometric instruments in all 48,000 government schools of the state to monitor the attendance of teachers and students.
Through the 'Chief Minister's Mathrusree Scheme' announced in the budget, Rs 1,000 per month will be transferred to the bank account of pregnant women from below poverty line (BPL) families for three months prior to the delivery and three months for the lactating mother, Kumaraswamy said.
Rs 350 crore has been earmarked for the scheme, which will be implemented from November 1.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bengaluru woman critically injured after fall from hotel balcony during police visit
Bengaluru: A 21-year-old woman sustained serious injuries after she fell from a hotel balcony in Bengaluru early Sunday morning while police were responding to a complaint about loud noise, India Today reported.
The incident took place at a hotel in AECS Layout, within the limits of the HAL police station. Police reportedly said a group of four men and four women had booked rooms at the hotel and were allegedly playing loud music and dancing, prompting nearby residents to alert the police by calling the 112-emergency helpline around 5 am.
During this time, one of the women, a resident of Kundalahalli, allegedly attempted to move out through the balcony using a pipe, lost her balance, and fell onto the hotel’s compound iron grills.
ALSO READ: National Herald case: Shivakumar to seek time next week to appear before Delhi police
According to the report, she suffered severe injuries to her head, hands and other parts of the body. Her friends took her to a private hospital in Kundalahalli, where she was admitted to the intensive care unit. Doctors said her condition remains critical.
Police have registered a complaint at the HAL police station and are investigating the circumstances that led to the incident.
Responding to allegations that police personnel demanded money, police reportedly said, we are not aware of such allegations and are not sure about their aftermath. They added, the police personnel were wearing body cameras, and there is nothing in the footage to support these claims. There is no basis for the allegations.
