New Delhi, Mar 9: The World Bank has extended a loan of $ 54.7 million to the Uttar Pradesh government for the reclamation of barren lands.Called the `Sodic Lands Reclamation Project', it envisages conversion of 69,000 hectares of barren land into fertile land.
Over its seven year implementation period, the poverty focus project will reclaim for agriculture about 69,000 hectare of unproductive land in 10 districts in the state.
The package as part of World Bank's $ 111.2 million project and routed through the International Development Agency (IDA) for increasing agricultural growth, improving natural resources management and reducingpoverty. The project is expected to supplement resources from the state government.
Under the programme which is managed by the Uttar Pradesh Land Development Corporation (UPLDC), the state government has distributed about 6,700 hectares of state reclaimed land to over 16,000 poor and landless families for cultivation under the World Bank-aided project.
