National Agriculture and Rural Development Bank (Nabard) has sanctioned Rs 95.85 crore to the state government for rural roads and irrigation projects under its Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (XV).
Thus the total RIDF support in the state has reached Rs 7,390.94 crore so far.
“An amount of Rs 31.80 crore has been sanctioned for a major irrigation project (on Lower Goi river) in Badwani district and another amount of Rs 64.05 crore for 33 rural road projects in 20 districts of Betul, Chhindwara, Damoh, Jabalpur, Jhabua, Katni, Khargone, Mandla, Neemuch, Raisen, Rajgarh, Ratlam, Sagar, Satna, Sehore, Shajapur, Sheopur, Shivpuri, Ujjain and Vidisha,” a Nabard official said.
The ‘Lower Goi’ project will create additional irrigation potential of 13,760 hectares and will cover 51 villages, thereby benefitting more than 8,000 Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families, besides generating non-recurring employment for 145 lakh mandays during the project implementation period. At least nine villages of Barwani district are partially affected under submergence of the 12 sq km reservoir, and 696 families are to displaced from the project. The dam height will be 300 meters.
The road projects will create a total of 337.83 km road length besides generating non-recurring employment for 29.63 lakh mandays, on completion of 33 road projects.
Lower Goi is one of the major irrigation projects identified on the Narmada river. Goi is a tributary of Narmada, the project is 21 km in length on Khandwa-Baroda (Gujarat) highway.
“Since 1995-96 Nabard to state funding will reach Rs 7,390.94 crore for various irrigation, rural road, bridge, mini-hydel projects, system improvement in power sector, school buildings and health centres,” said the official.