BHUBANESWAR: Nabard has sanctioned `280.92 crore for critical infrastructure projects in rural areas of Odisha.
The sanctioned amount will fund 31 flood protection and irrigation system improvement projects involving `229.50 crore and 5,124 minor irrigation projects including 5,000 borewells, 79 river lift and 45 tube wells involving `51.42 crore. These irrigation projects envisage to create, stabilise and develop an irrigation potential of 79,422 hectare (ha) in the State.
With the fresh sanction under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) Tranche XX (2014-15), the total amount sanctioned to the State Government during the year by Nabard has gone up to `2,265.13 crore with focus on irrigation, rural connectivity through roads and bridges, fisheries and animal husbandry.
Further, Nabard has sanctioned `21.95 crore towards construction of 41 godowns and warehouses of 300 mt to 1,000 mt capacity in 10 districts of the State under Warehouse Infrastructure Fund (WIF) 2014-15. These projects envisage creation of additional storage capacity of 17,300 mt which could be used in storage of agriculture products of the State.
The cumulative sanction by Nabard under RIDF has gone up to `11,608 crore for implementing more than 1.97 lakh projects under various sectors.