The Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput region in Orissa, popularly known as KBK, where starvation deaths, baby sale and famines are rampant, will get a special assistance of Rs 490 crore in the current financial year which is nearly double the amount allocated previously by the Centre.
While the eight districts of the KBK will get Rs 250 crore under the revised Long Term Action Plan, Rs 120 crore will flow to the region under the Backward Region Grant Fund as central assistance, a senior official of the planning and coordination department said.
Another Rs 120 crore would be spent in the region under the Biju KBK Yojana, he said adding the backward districts would also get regular allocations made under the state budget.
The grinding poverty in the KBK had attracted personal attention of prime ministers down the years.
Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Narasimha Rao had personally visited the region and were instrumental in launching special schemes like the Long Term Action Plan in 1998 and 2002-03.
However, despite the existence of various special poverty alleviation schemes the region has ended up receiving only Rs 1833 crore in a span of 12 years from 1998 to 2009-10, Orissa planning and cooridination minister A U Singhdeo said.
{{/usCountry}}However, despite the existence of various special poverty alleviation schemes the region has ended up receiving only Rs 1833 crore in a span of 12 years from 1998 to 2009-10, Orissa planning and cooridination minister A U Singhdeo said.
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