Funds for Conservation of Bindu-Sagar Lake

The Government has sanctioned funds for conservation of Bindu-Sagar Lake in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. This Ministry is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Lake Conservation Plan for conservation and management of polluted and degraded lakes in urban and semi-urban areas of the country on 70:30 funding pattern.

Under the scheme, the Ministry has sanctioned a project ‘Conservation and Management of Bindusagar lake’ in Bhubaneshwar (Orissa), at a cost of Rs.3.36 crore in March, 2006. Out of the Government of India’s share of Rs.2.35 crore, an amount of Rs.2.21crore has been released to Bhubaneshwar Municipal Corporation (BMC), the implementing agency for project, which is more than ninety percent of Government of India’s contribution. As per the utilization certificates submitted by BMC, the amount released so far has been fully utilized. Release of balance funds will be upon project completion.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Environment and Forests (independent charge) Shrimati Jayanthi Natarajan in a written reply to a question by . Shri Rudra Madhab Ray in Lok Sabha today.

KP