GULBARGA: People of the flood-hit areas in Gulbarga district seem to be unhappy with the response of the Government to their problems.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa are yet to visit the affected villages to take stock of the situation there. They have only conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas.

Mr. Kumaraswamy, who was scheduled to visit Afzalpur taluk, cancelled it owing to incessant rain.

Mr Yediyurappa who first arrived in Belgaum, one of the worst affected districts, held a meeting with officials and conducted an aerial survey of Belgaum, Bijapur, and Bagalkot districts.

He visited Raichur and held a review meeting.

In Gulbarga district, Mr. Yediyurappa met presspersons and did not hold a review meeting as scheduled. Deputy Commissioner Pankajkumar Pandey was asked to join the Deputy Chief Minister at Shaktinagar helipad in Raichur district to brief him about the situation on their way to Gulbarga.

The only positive response by the Government was the extensive tour of the district by Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar, district in-charge Minister Sharanabasappa Dharshanapur and Agriculture Minister Bandappa Kashampur.

Reason

The Government had a reason for attacking the Centre for not providing assistance to the State in times of crisis though it released additional funds to Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh for relief work.

But the State Government's inability to utilise funds available under the Natural Calamity Relief Fund put it in a disadvantageous position.

While the State received Rs. 46 crore of the annual allocation of Rs. 126 crore under the Natural Calamity Relief Fund, the Government released only Rs. 26 crore. It released only Rs. 3 crore to Gulbarga district.

The authorities concerned have taken up only temporary measures such as establishment of relief camps in the affected areas.

Permanent relief measures such as construction of houses and providing assistance to farmers who have lost their crops are yet to be taken up. Communication links, which have been damaged in the floods in most parts of the district, have not been set right.

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