Updated on Thursday, July 02, 2009, 22:30 IST

Lucknow, July 02: Giving a thrust to the land reclamation project being implemented in Uttar Pradesh, the World Bank has sanctioned a loan of Rs 1,332 crore.

"The World Bank has agreed to grant a loan of Rs 1,332 crore to UP for the the Sodic Land Reclamation Project, being implemented in the State," Chief Minister Mayawati told reporters here today.

She said the loan would be utilised to treat 1.35 lakh hectares of sodic land.

"It is after a gap of eight years when a project has been approved by the World Bank," she said.

In the third phase of the project, she said 25 districts will be covered over the next six years.

"Of the 1.35 lakh hectares of land to be reclaimed in the third phase, the target of reclaiming 5,000 hectares of ravines has also been fixed," she said, adding implementing the third phase would benefit nearly 2.4 lakh farmers in the state.

"The important part of the project is that it will be implemented in areas having 93 per cent small and marginal farmers. Of this, 30 per cent would be of SC category and 47 per cent from other backward classes," she added.

Mayawati said implementation of the project will help increase production of wheat and paddy and food security.

Bureau Report