Nabard sanctions Rs 4,940 cr project for UP

The National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (Nabard) has organised a two-day workshop in Lucknow for senior government officials of Uttar Pradesh dealings with Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) projects.

The workshop was arranged by Nabard to discuss various operational issues and problems in implementation of various projects under RIDF like time and cost overrun, people's participation, response time in formulation and execution of projects, quality of assets, long-term infrastructure plan, cross agency barriers and maintenance of assets.

Nabard has sanctioned projects for irrigation, rural roads, rural bridges, flood protection works, fisheries, forestry, animal husbandry worth Rs 4,940 crore for UP under its RIDF.

"Agriculture in UP needs to be developed at a faster pace. Poverty too needs to be tackled to avoid rural-urban divide which is widening here. The programme of RIDF, being implemented by Nabard in the state, covering wide range of economic as well as social infrastructure fills in the void to a large extent by providing investment in these sectors," said Sukhbir Singh, CMG-Nabard.

He also said the irrigation sector was given top priority for sanctions under RIDF as it would enable the farmers to derive higher income level even from a small holding.