Updated on Monday, June 08, 2009, 09:44 IST

Lucknow, June 07: The World Bank has given its nod to a whopping Rs.1,332 crore (Rs.13.32 billion) soft loan for reclamation of sodic land in Uttar Pradesh - a move that will help an estimated 250,000 farmers.

Making the announcement at a press conference here Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said, "The scheme would help reclaim a huge chunk of about 130,000 hectares of sodic land in the state."

The scheme, an extension of two previous phases of a similar exercise undertaken in the state, will benefit an estimated 250,000 farmers, he said.

"At least 43 percent of the beneficiaries would be marginal farmers, of which a larger chunk would be Dalits."

The state government has also finalised a large-scale afforestation programme aiming to plant 55 million trees.

Bureau Report