BELGAUM: The prevailing drought in many districts of the State occupied was the focus of discussion in both Houses of the legislature on Friday. While the Opposition wanted to know what measures the Government had put in place to combat the drought, the Government informed the Houses of the directions issued to deputy commissioners and the assistance sought from the Union Government to tackle the drought.

Minister for Home and Parliamentary Affairs M.P. Prakash told the Legislative Assembly that the Government had decided to set up a task force in each drought-hit taluk headed by the legislator concerned to monitor the implementation of relief measures. The Government had initially declared 102 taluks drought hit and 20 more were added to the list recently.

Mr. Prakash said the task forces would monitor the execution of drinking water schemes and take steps to prevent the migration of people from rural areas to urban centres. The Government would make use of funds sanctioned under the Central Relief Fund and the National Calamity Relief Fund for relief measures, Mr. Prakash said.

A Cabinet subcommittee had been constituted to monitor the situation and it would hold meetings twice a month, he said.

Earlier, the senior Congress leader M. Mallikarjun Kharge said the Government had made use of only Rs. 46.46 crore (till the end of August) of the Rs. 132 crore sanctioned by the Centre for providing employment under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).

Information sought

He wanted the Government to furnish information on the number of people who were given employment, the expenditure involved and number and types of works executed. There was no action plan for the effective use of funds granted under the NREGA in the five districts selected under the scheme, he charged.

Mr. Kharge suggested to the Government to pool the funds sanctioned under the CRF and the NCRF and ensure quick disbursement to districts affected by floods and drought.

Mr. Kharge said the Government was not serious in taking up development works in North Karnataka as per the recommendations of the D.M. Nanjundappa Committee report. Over Rs. 25,000 crore was required to implement the recommendations in the report. A time-bound plan (five to six years) had to be formulated to eliminate regional imbalances, he said.

Mr. Kharge appealed to the Government to increase the allocation of funds under the Ganga Kalyan scheme to uplift Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe people. Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd. and Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Ltd, should aside Rs. 100 crore each for the scheme, he said.

Dharna by Congress

Earlier, as soon as the House assembled, Congress members staged a dharna in protest against the absence of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister B.S Yediyurappa and senior Ministers.

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