The Union Government, which has launched several schemes for inclusive growth and tackling the rural-urban divide, seems to be dragging its feet in sanctioning rural development projects submitted by the State Government. The Centre has not cleared 21 rural projects estimated at nearly Rs. 200 crore, and now officials are of the view that the State is unlikely to get the projects sanctioned. Though the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj submitted proposals for various projects two years ago under the Swarnajayanti Gram Swaraj Yojana (SGSY), the Centre is yet to clear them. Nine of the 21 projects are related to dairy activities in various districts (Rs. 79.58 crore), three to rural livelihood and employment opportunities (Rs. 44.23crore), two are aimed at providing better marketing infrastructure in villages (Rs. 14.35 rore) and two each to set up incubation centres (Rs. 25.57 crore), rehabilitation of Devadasis (Rs. 24.64 crore) and setting up of a "Kushal Gram', a marketing complex for SGSY beneficiaries of the District Rural Development Foundation and B.V.V. Sangha of Bagalkot (Rs. 4.67 crore). The department has submitted nine detailed project reports to promote dairy activities in Bangalore Rural and Bangalore Urban, Mandya, Bellary, Uttara Kannada, Hassan, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Davangere and Belgaum districts. To implement these projects, Central assistance of Rs. 59.8 crore has been sought, while Rs. 19.78 crore is to be contributed by the district-level milk unions.