Kalam's project to take off in 70 villages in KTK

BANGALORE: One of the pet projects of President A P J Abdul Kalam, PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) is sought to be implemented in a cluster of 70 villages with Bheemasumudra in Chitradurga district of Karnataka as nodal centre.

Kalam himself is flying down to inaugurate the implementation programme on August 21.

According to G M Siddeswara, Lok Sabha member from Davangere and Chairman of PURA implementation programme, a Rs 208 crore project has been drawn up to be implemented in the 70 villages over a period of five years.

Under the ambitious venture, the programme intend to spend Rs 60 crore on improving roads and providing road connectivity, providing clean drinking water, sanitation facilities, setting up five each science, and commerce and arts colleges, upgrading schools, a library for each village besides a childrens' science and technology park and planting of two crore saplings, he told reporters here.

Siddeswara said they were looking for funds from the Central and State Governments, donors and NGOs. "Bank of India and some other banks have expressed a desire to chip in," he said.