K'taka seeks Rs 177 cr for horticulture mission

The Karnataka government has extended the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) programme to two more districts.

The department of horticulture, which is implementing the programme, has sought a higher allocation of Rs 177.35 crore from the Centre to carry out NHM programmes for 2006-07.

The state government was allocated Rs 85 crore under the NHM project in 2005-06. But, of this, it has received only Rs 45 crore till now and the project implementation commenced in May this year. Till now, the department has spent about Rs 10 crore under the project.

"The Centre is unlikely to release the remaining Rs 40 crore to the state as we could not commence work on time due to the delays in paper work and a subsequent change in the government. The department is finding it difficult to implement the project in the state due to lack of manpower. There are as many as 107 posts of officers are lying vacant at the taluk level," sources told Business Standard.

As per the revised action plan submitted to the Union Ministry of Agriculture by the state horticulture department recently, the NHM programmes are being extended to Chikmagalur and Shimoga districts.

Earlier, the project was approved for only 13 districts. However, following directions of the Planning Commission to undertake special projects in six suicide-prone districts of Karnataka, the government decided to extend the NHM project to two more districts, official sources said.

While the four suicide-prone districts "" Belgaum, Chitradurga, Hassan and Kodagu ""were covered under the NHM project, the horticulture department has now included two more districts "" Shimoga and Chikmagalur "" into the project. With the two districts being added into the NHM programme two more crops -- sapota and arecanut -- will get funds under NHM. The department also aims to increase the area under the cultivation of these crops, the officials added.

Of the Rs 177 crore sought from the Centre this year, Rs 77.46 crore will be spent for NHM project, the remaining Rs 97.38 crore will be utilised for the intensive development of six suicide-prone districts.