The Hindu 09.07.2013
KURDFC to fund solar energy projects
Agency to finance housing schemes for the poor
Solar energy will be among the new sectors that will be
provided funds by the public-sector Kerala Urban and Rural Development
Finance Corporation Ltd (KURDFC), which provides financial support for
development programmes of local bodies, KURDFC chairman K. Moideenkoya
has said.
Mr. Moideenkoya said on Monday that a
recent meeting of the agency’s director board had decided to fund
housing schemes for the poor taken up by local bodies at low interest
rates, and profitable ventures in the tourism sector.
It had been decided to provide loans to the tune of Rs.100 crore this year to local bodies.
Last year the corporation disbursed a loan of Rs.40 crore to local bodies.
Towards self-reliance
The
loans would be for projects that would enable local bodies to become
self-reliant. By providing financial help, the KURDFC aimed at enabling
local bodies to build up more assets and enhance their revenue from
non-tax sources.
The KURDFC is the lone public-sector agency that provides funds for local bodies for development.
Panel to be drawn up
It
had also been decided by the KURDFC to set up a technical cell in order
to avoid delays in granting clearance for projects submitted by the
local bodies. The corporation would prepare a panel consisting of
engineers, town planners and architects whose services would be
available to local bodies to prepare projects.
A new
building constructed in Thiruvananthapuram, near Secretariat, would
house the head office of the KURDFC, and the office would start
functioning from there shortly, he said.