28 July 2021, New Delhi: In 2009, a special package for Bundelkhand region was approved at a cost of Rs.7266 crore comprising Rs.3506 crore for Uttar Pradesh and Rs.3760 crore for Madhya Pradesh for a period of 3 years, starting from 2009-10. The package envisaged an Additional Central Assistance (ACA) to the tune of Rs.3450 crore comprising Rs. 1596 crore to Uttar Pradesh & Rs.1854 crore to Madhya Pradesh and balance cost of the package was to be met by converging resources from ongoing central sector and centrally sponsored schemes. Further, Government of India approved an Additional Central Assistance of Rs.200 crore (Rs.100 crore each for the State Governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh) to provide drinking water in the Bundelkhand region.
Further, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved continuation of Bundelkhand Special Package through NITI Aayog during the 12th Plan period (2012-2017) under Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) to address various issues of the Bundlekhand region for sustaining food-grain production and also for providing livelihood support in the region with overall objective of socio-economic development of the area, besides, prevention of rural to urban migration.
Under this package various interventions like Watershed Development, Construction of Surface Irrigation Project, Construction of Dug well and its energization, Construction of Stop Dams, Afforestation, Storage and Market yards, Distribution of Goats and Bulls, Fodder Storage, Dairy Development, Drinking Water Supply, Crops and Horticulture Development and Marketing etc. were adopted in all 7 districts of Uttar Pradesh and 6 Districts of Madhya Pradesh of Bundelkhand Region.
So far, an amount of Rs.3107.87 crore has been released to Uttar Pradesh in three phases during 2009- 2010 to 2018-2019 and an amount of Rs. 704.5 crore has been released to Madhya Pradesh in two phases 2009-2010 to 2018-2019.
This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar in Lok Sabha today.
