Govt clears Rs 200-cr for Bundelkhand

The additional Central assistance will enable the states to address the problem of drinking water better during summer, I&B minister Ambika Soni said

The Centre on Thursday sanctioned an additional Rs 200 crore for Bundelkhand with the allocation aimed at addressing drinking water problems in the districts belonging to the region.

The fresh infusion,over and above the Rs 7,266 crore special package that was announced for the region,following intervention Rahul Gandhi,was approved by the Cabinet on Thursday. UP and Madhya Pradesh will receive Rs 100 crore each to commission projects related to drought mitigation schemes.

The additional Central assistance will enable the states to address the problem of drinking water better during summer, I&B minister Ambika Soni said. The package on the whole will enable people in the region to optimise water resources through rainwater harvesting and proper utilisation of the river systems along with promoting diversified agriculture.

Rahul Gandhi had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in July 2009 and sought a Rs 8,000 crore special package for development of Bundelkhand.