Mysuru:  Even as the ECI is all set to announce the 2019 LS polls schedule in a couple of days, Mysuru ZP President Parimala Shyam in her maiden ZP meeting on Friday, presented the budget with an outlay of Rs.435.91 crore for the 2019-20 fiscal. Compared to 2018-19, grants for the district has been increased by over 12%.

According to the Budget, salary component to ZP staff accounts for Rs.127.77 crore, while non-salary component has been pegged at Rs.308.14 crore. ZP has set aside Rs.158.42 crore for Education Dept., including Rs.80.47 crore for Mid-day Meals and Ksheera Bhagya.

Rs.34 lakh has been allotted to Kannada & Culture Department to establish Rangamandiras at High Schools in villages. It has allotted Rs.33.15 crore for Social Forestry and has planned to develop ‘Nedu Thopu,’ a grove of saplings on 460.874 hectares across the district in next three years. Similarly, Rs.86.79 crore has been earmarked for District Health & Family Welfare Dept. to maintain 163 Health Care Centres and 524 sub-centres. Rs.4.72 crore has been earmarked for Agriculture Department, while Rs.8.09 crore is reserved for Horticulture and Rs.7.62 crore for Sericulture Department, Parimala said. Pointing out that the Govt. has given a target for 37 lakh man days under MNREGA in 2019-20, Parimala said that the GPs have prepared an action plan of Rs.162.76 crore for the same.

Stating that the ZP anticipates a grant of Rs.112.59 crore for Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Schemes under both the State and Union Govt. components, she said that the district has implemented 25 multi-village drinking water schemes over the years. During the current year, seven multi-village drinking water schemes are to be implemented to cover 205 villages in the district, which will require an additional Rs.41.05 crore, she said. A proposal will be submitted to the Government in this regard for approval, she added.

Parimala said, the district had received approval for the installation of 242 RO Plants in villages, of which 200 have been installed. The remaining will be taken up under the Jaladhare Scheme during the current financial year. The ZP will also establish Solid Waste Management Plants in 33 GP limits, she further said. Earlier in the day, the meeting was adjourned till afternoon for lack of quorum. The meeting commenced again after lunch, when the Budget was presented.