The State Government on Saturday included four more regions in the National Rurban Mission for ensuring basic facilities under the scheme. With this, the number of regions included in the NRM rose to 14.
The new regions are Puttasingh in Rayagada district, Marichamal under Koraput Sadar block, Kuanarmunda in Sundargarh district and Raibania in Baleswar district.
A decision to this effect was taken at the State-level empowered committee meeting held under chairmanship of Chief Secretary AP Padhi at the State Secretariat here. Padhi directed officers to create new livelihood sources and strengthen education and health sectors in the regions. Besides, he stressed on supply of drinking water and sanitation.
To ensure all these basic facilities, the empowered committed prepared an integrated action plan of Rs 305.65 crore which includes Rs 56.50 crore for Puttasingh, Rs 63.73 crore for Marichamal, Rs 77.37 crore for Kuanarmunda and Rs 108.04 crore for Raibania.
Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Supply Principal Secretary informed that Rs 230.30 crore would be sourced from various schemes through field-level integration and the rest Rs 75.30 crore to be sourced as ‘Critical Gap Fund’ from the Union Government and the State Government at 60:40 rate.
Among others, Rurban Mission Director Pranab Jyoti Nath, Finance Principal Secretary Tuhin Kant Pandey, School and Mass Education Principal Secretary Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, Housing and Urban Development Secretary G Mathivathanan, SC and ST Secretary R Raghuprasad and Rurban Mission State Nodal Officer R Raghuprasad were present.