Even as the earlier plan for reclamation and rehabilitation (R&R) of areas that were ravaged by mining activities in Ballari district has been in limbo, the Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC), which is the special purpose vehicle (SPV) constituted by the State government, has directed the district administration to prepare a revised plan for the same. The earlier plan prepared and submitted in November 2014 with an outlay of Rs. 1,590 crore was to be implemented in a period of three years, while the revised plan with higher allocation of Rs. 3,700 crore will have a five-year time for implementation. As per the directions of KMERC, the district administration has started the exercise with focus on 11 sectors — public health, education, water quality, transport and communication, agriculture and allied activities, animal husbandry, drainage and sanitation, women and child welfare, ecology and environment, upgrade of check-posts, and skill development, Sameer Shukla, Deputy Commissioner, told presspersons here on Saturday. The Supreme Court had directed the State government to prepare a comprehensive R&R plan for rehabilitating villages and areas that were severely affected by mining activities, besides restoring the environment and ecology in three districts of the State — Ballari, Chitradurga and Tumakuru. For the purpose, the apex court had directed authorities concerned to set aside 10 per cent of the sales proceeds of iron ore sold through e-auction and a SPV had to be constituted for implementing it. According to an estimate, the funds already collected for the implementation of R&R plan had exceeded Rs. 6,000 crore. For want of approval from the Supreme Court, the plan had remained on paper. Highlighting the outline of the revised plan under preparation, Mr. Shukla said he had proposed strengthening of taluk hospitals in Sandur and Hosapete, besides establishing a unit for occupational hazard and de-addiction centres, upgrading the district hospital, procurement of four ambulances, a mobile hospital, water conservation, propagating drip irrigation system and sprinklers, advanced agricultural implements, construction of godowns, among others.