BANGALORE: The Government has decided to write to the Centre expressing its inability to return Rs. 158 crores of the Rs. 357 crores released to the State for undertaking relief works in rain-affected districts.

Water Resources Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge told presspersons here on Friday that the Government has already spent the money released by the Centre on repairing the damage caused to infrastructure by heavy rain and floods in Bangalore and other parts of the State.

The Centre has reportedly sought the return of Rs. 158 crores stating that the estimate of losses were not in accordance with the norms and compensation claims were high.

Mr. Kharge said Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh discussed the issue with Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. Union Minister of State for Planning M.V. Rajasekharan and Union Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation Oscar Fernandes have been told to speak to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the matter.

Mr. Kharge said the Centre has also asked Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh to return a part of the funds released. "It is not correct on the part of the Centre to deduct funds," he said.

In November, Mr. Dharam Singh led a delegation to the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister and sought assistance totalling Rs. 1,167 crores from the Centre for carrying out flood-relief operations in the State. Of that Rs. 514.2 crores was meant for Bangalore and Rs. 652.9 crores for nine other affected districts.

Mr. Kharge said the Centre has not released the funds promised to the State.

The Government will seek additional funds for development works in the rain-affected areas, he said.

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