NABARD sanctions Rs.653 crore loan to Odisha

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, July 21: NABARD has sanctioned Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) loan of Rs.652.70 crore to Government of Odisha under RIDF Tranche XXI [2015-16].The loan was sanctioned in a recent meeting of NABARD held at its head office at Mumbai recently.With this cumulatively, NABARD has sanctioned Rs.12,648 crore to the Government of Odisha for implementing 1.98 lakh projects under various sectors such as irrigation, rural connectivity, animal husbandry infrastructure development, jetties/passenger waiting halls for inland waterway transport and rural drinking water supply system etc.This present sanction includes funding for 11 rural road and one rural bridge project involving assistance of Rs.234.08 crore.These projects envisage to develop/create additional road length of 197.94 km and bridge length of 155 mtr in the state.Supporting one of the flagship programme of State Government, NABARD has sanctioned 102 bridge projects under Biju Setu Yojana.RIDF assistance of Rs.284.00 crore has been sanctioned to create an additional bridge length of 8277.25 mtr in the state.Further, 23 Flood protection projects involving assistance of Rs.114.73 crore, 154 Lift Irrigation projects (Tube well & River lift) under Biju Krishak Vikas Yojana (BKVY) involving assistance of Rs.19.89 crore has been sanctioned.These Irrigation projects envisage to create/stabilize/develop an irrigation potential of 84952 ha & under BKVY 3432ha will be brought under assured irrigation.RIDF of NABARD was created to fund completion of ongoing projects and create new projects as well in the rural areas.Over the years, it has become an important source for funding various projects across the State catering to the critical infrastructure needs in the rural areas, according to a NABARD release.