World Bank announces $444 Million aid to Orissa

Wednesday, 28 January 2009, 15:37 IST   |    4 Comments
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New Delhi: The World Bank Tuesday announced $444 million aid to Orissa for infrastructure development and rural livelihood projects. The bank has signed an agreement in this regard with the state government. According to the assistance package agreement, the bank will provide $250 million for improving road network, $112 million for agricultural tank systems and $82.4 million for increasing livelihood opportunities for the rural poor. Despite high economic growth of recent past, the state "remains one of India's poorest states with nearly half of its 38 million people living under the official poverty line, most of them in rural areas," the bank noted. "The emphasis is not only to build on what has been achieved so far, but also to target inclusion of the poorest of the poor," said Roberto Zagha, World Bank Country Director for India.
Source: IANS