A State Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday, decided to hold an extended budget session of the legislature from June 23 to July 30 in Bangalore. Addressing presspersons on the Cabinet decisions, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs T.B. Jayachandra said the Cabinet had approved a Karnataka Tank Authority Bill to set up a State-level Tank Authority for protection and revival of tanks. The authority would cover all tanks in the State, except those located in city corporation limits. The Bill would be tabled during the next session and it envisages filing of criminal cases against persons indulging in encroachment of tank beds. The Minister said the Cabinet had decided to release Rs. 20 crore to set up a training school at the Government Tool Room Factory at Chikkodi, the constituency represented by Minister for Sugar Prakash B. Hukkeri.
A decision was taken to provide government guarantee to the Markandeya Sugar Factory in Belgaum to raise a loan from the National Cooperative Development Corporation. It had also been decided to appoint retired IAS officer D.N. Naik as the Special Officer to the Karnataka Permanent Backward Classes Commission for a period of one year for taking up caste-wise survey in the State.
It was also decided to sanction Rs 50 crore to Hutti Gold Mines, Raichur, for installing 1000 TPD capacity Ball Mills and take up modernisation works. For effective delivery of food grains for poor families under the PDS, a decision was taken to hold Anna Bhagya Adalats at fair price shops during the first 10 days of a month. Officials would hold adalats and hear complaints from ration card holders.
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A sum of Rs. 34 crore had been sanctioned for taking up ring road works in Srinivasapura town in Kolar district, Mr. Jayachandra said.