March 21, 2002

    The Ministry of Rural Development has released Rs. 67.57 lakh to Jammu & Kashmir as first instalment for the current financial year under the Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP). The Ministry has approved the programme of Rs 491.40 lakh to Devak – Thanda Pani block of Rajouri district of the State. The Central share in the programme is Rs. 450.45 lakh and the State share is Rs. 40.95 lakh. The project will be implemented over a period of five years from the current year to 2002-06.

    The Ministry has also released funds of Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission under the National HRD programme as part of second and final instalments, during the year 2001-02. Of this, Rs. 59.32 lakh has been released to Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam, Lucknow and Rs. 52.07 lakh to State government of Uttar Pradesh to conduct 600 training courses and 39 district level workshops each. So far, UP government has received Rs. 235.69 lakh against approved cost 248.61 lakh for the programme.

    Himachal Pradesh has also received Rs. 4.76 lakh as second instalment out of an allocation of Rs. 9.52 lakh, under the Central Rural Sanitation Programme for the current financial year.