The Hindu : Urgent relief work will go on, says Minister

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 12, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Urgent relief work will go on, says Minister

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, MARCH 11. The Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, D.B. Chandre Gowda, said today that the Government would go ahead with the drought relief measures which required to be implemented immediately, such as providing drinking water and generating employment, and supplying fodder to cattle.

Briefing reporters on the decisions of the Cabinet at its meeting, the Minister said that the electoral code of conduct did not come in the way of taking steps to provide relief to the people affected by drought. There was a "full-fledged" Government in the State and it could not shirk its responsibility, he said.

The State was reeling under severe drought for the third consecutive year, and the Election Commission could not expect the Government to take prior permission for even drilling a borewell. "Is it an offence to drill an additional borewell to supply water without the commission's approval?" he asked.

He said that the Cabinet had discussed the code of conduct under which the Government had to take the permission of the commission to start any new work.

The Chief Secretary had been asked to discuss the issue with the commission for relaxing the code.

The commission should not be rigid in the implementation of rules when the matter concerned programmes to deal with a crisis such as drought. There were some agreed solutions between the Centre and the Supreme Court, and the State Government and political parties in handling such problems.

Mr. Chandre Gowda said that there was no need for the Government to seek any clarification from the commission, but added that the Chief Secretary had been asked to get doubts cleared.

There was no problem with regard to the ongoing works, he said.

Forest fire: He said the Cabinet had decided to sanction Rs. 25 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for extinguishing the fire that was raging in the Bhadra Reserve Forests in over 33,000 acres. Some relief would be provided to the affected people.

Mr. Chandre Gowda, who inspected the area devastated by the fire, said that the huge collection of dry bamboo flowers had caused the fire. It was not easy to extinguish the flames, which were raging at a height of 80 feet to 100 feet. Monkeys could be seen trying to save their young ones from the fire. The sparks had spread to 70 bamboo groves, he added.

The Minister ruled out foul play or the possibility of any official having connived with miscreants. While environmentalists insisted that bamboo flowers should not be removed, the dry flowers posed a problem during summer, he said.

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