Kadri Park to get facelift soon: horticulture minister

Mangalore, January 24: Kadri Park in the city will get the much needed facelift at an estimated cost of Rs 5 crore, according to minister for horticulture S A Ravindranath.

"A proposal to this effect is pending with thefinance department for approval," Ravindranath said in Mangalore on Monday, adding that every effort would be made to release this year's installment out of proposed expenditure within the end of the current financial year and develop Kadri Park on lines of Lalbagh in Bangalore.

Ravindranath, who visited the park told reporters that taking note of distinct change in land use patterns across districts with several agricultural districts taking up horticultural crops in Karnataka, his department had sought budgetary support to develop horticulture in the state, "I have requested the government to provide an outlay of Rs 2,000 crores for the overall makeover of the department," he said adding the outlay in 2011-12 budget was Rs 756 crore.

"Dakshina Kannada is among the main agricultural districts to have embraced horticulture in the last decade, along with Bijapur, Bidar, Chitradurga and Raichur. Other districts are also on the verge of following suit. The department should be equipped to modernize its operations which will result in scientific cultivation and increased yield and returns to growers. It is up to CM to consider our request for enhanced budgetary support," he added.

Earlier, a delegation from Campco met Ravindranath and urged him to devise ways and means to control the yellow disease afflicting arecanut plantations in Sullia taluk in DK and Shringeri, Koppa and N R Pura taluks in Chikmagalur. Campco president Konkodi Padmanabha also sought 50% subsidy for the arecanut peeling machine developed by the multi-state cooperative society and a grrant of Rs 50 lakh for the Adike Yantra Mela 2012 scheduled for November.