Public bonds to generate Rs 300 crore for Godavari-Marathwada Corp

The Chief Minister made the announcement while addressing newspersons, after presiding a Cabinet meeting held at the Divisional Commissioner’s office here, which discussed issues predominantly concerning the seven districts of Marathwada.

Among the other decisions taken by the Cabinet were allocation of an excess budget of Rs 28 crore forthree medium and 10 minor irrigation projects in the region (work on which will be expediated so as to be completed by June 1999), setting up two agriculture colleges at Badnapur (Jalna) and Ambejogai (Beed), construction of nine hostels in Beed district for children of sugarcane cutters (each having a capacity to accommodate 100 students).

The Chief Minister said the State Government would welcome private institutes or trusts to set up the two agriculture colleges, but in case there is no response, the State Government itself will go ahead and open the colleges by June 1998. The Cabinet has also allocated a sum of Rs four crore for the proposed tissue culture laboratory to be set up at the Agriculture University Campus, Parbhani.

The Cabinet sanctioned an amount of Rs five crore for the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation, as a special grant. However, since the corporation has still not utilised the Rs four crore granted to it last year, money from the fresh allocation would be made available only after thecorporation submits proof of having spent the previous amount, the Chief Minister said.

Construction of roads and bridges under the fullfillment of backlog work, as shown by the Dandekar Commitee, will be completed by the year 2000, the Chief Minister said.