The Hindu : Front Page : State delegation meets Manmohan

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Friday, Sep 02, 2005

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State delegation meets Manmohan

Special Correspondent

Rs. 3,641 crores assistance sought to provide relief to flood-hit areas

NEW DELHI: An all-party delegation from Karnataka, led by its Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh on Thursday called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and asked for an assistance of Rs. 3,641 crores to provide relief and rehabilitation in the flood-affected areas in the State.

Describing the floods as the most severe in the last 100 years, a memorandum submitted to the Centre said 29 lakh people have suffered on account of the floods, with five lakh acres of standing crop getting destroyed, and 88,500 houses and other buildings damaged.

Stating that apart from the heavy rainfall it received the State also had to contend with discharges of water from upstream reservoirs in Maharashtra, the delegation urged that the compensation for crop loss be raised to Rs. 15,000 per acre for sugarcane, Rs. 10,000 per acre for horticulture and other irrigated crops and Rs. 5,000 per acre for other crops.

Likewise, it called for raising the compensation for damaged houses and buildings to Rs. 40,000 for fully damaged houses, Rs. 25,000 for partially damaged houses and Rs. 15,000 for marginally damaged houses.

The delegation also urged for rescheduling of crop loans and sanction of second crop loan in the affected areas and waiver of loans borrowed during this season.

In addition, it urged for assistance for permanent shifting of 115 villages, which had got submerged in the floods.

Speaking to presspersons after the meeting, the Chief Minister said the Prime Minister described the floods as a human tragedy and said the Centre would provide all assistance to the State.

"The Prime Minister said that whatever help was given to Maharashtra would be given to Karnataka also," he added.

The Prime Minister, he said, also promised that he would ask the Goa Government to withdraw its objections to Kalasa-Banduri Nala schemes, under which 7.56 tmcft of water in the Mahadayi Basin is to be diverted to meet the drinking water requirements of Hubli-Dharwad area.

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