High-powered panel grants in-principle approval to various projects under NABARD's RIDF

A high-powered committee headed by the Kerala chief secretary has granted in-principle approval to infrastructure development projects worth Rs 1,441 crore in the state under tranche 31 of NABARD's Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), the Chief Minister's Office said on Saturday.

The National Bank For Agriculture And Rural Development's (NABARD) RIDF tranches are annual allocations of funds for rural infrastructure development in India.

The approvals granted to the various projects were announced in a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on Saturday.

The CMO statement said that various projects were recommended, considering the normative allocation of Rs 550 crore under RIDF tranche 31.

Projects worth Rs 159.64 crore, which include the creation of Rapid Response Teams, construction of forest station complexes and infrastructure development of forest offices, have been approved for the Forest Department, it said.

The Electricity Department has been sanctioned Rs 199.70 crore for installing 5,689 solar pumps for beneficiaries under the Agriculture Department, Rs 176.42 crore has been sanctioned for the Water Resources Department's irrigation projects and a recommended grant of Rs 261 crore to the Kerala Land Development Corporation's projects to renovate and develop paddy fields and ponds in five districts of the state, it said.

Besides these, the committee also granted approval to the Agriculture Department for projects worth Rs 176.14 crore, including the establishment of 26 smart agricultural houses in 12 districts, development of infrastructure in various paddy fields in Alappuzha district, and human-wildlife conflict mitigation activities in Kannur district, the statement said.

The Local Self-Government Department has been allocated Rs 165 crore for projects under the Comprehensive Municipal Liquid Waste Management and Road Restoration Project and projects worth Rs 243 crore submitted by the Fisheries and Port Engineering departments were recommended for taking up at a low interest rate under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund Scheme, it said.