M.P. Prakash

BANGALORE: The State Government has decided to release an additional Rs. 100 crore to drought-hit areas to take up relief measures.

Home Minister M.P. Prakash, who also heads a Cabinet sub-committee on drought, told presspersons here on Saturday that the Finance Department had cleared a proposal in this regard.

All the districts have Rs. 30 crore with them for drought relief works.

The Deputy Commissioners have requested the Government to release more funds so that they could take up additional relief works, including the drinking water supply. Mr. Prakash said the State had received credible information that a committee headed by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had recommended sanctioning of drought relief assistance of Rs. 160 crore to Maharashtra, while deferring the decision on requests from other States, including Karnataka, for similar assistance.

Mr. Prakash said the State would convey its displeasure over such a decision to the Centre. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy would soon write to the Centre in this regard. A delegation of the State would call on Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to urge him to consider the State's request for granting a drought-assistance of Rs 1,260 crore, he said.

The Centre had released only 50,000 tonnes of foodgrains for distribution in the drought-hit areas as against the State's request of 3 lakh tonnes, he said.

Mr. Prakash announced that the proposed law university would commence its work from the next financial year. A circuit house in Rayapura near Hubli had been allocated to the proposed university on a rental basis by the Public Works Department for housing its administrative wing.

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