The Hindu : National : Floods: Karnataka accused of laxity

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 06, 2007
ePaper

National

National

Floods: Karnataka accused of laxity

Special Correspondent

Opposition raises issue in Assembly and Council

BANGALORE: The Opposition in the two Houses of the legislature on Thursday hit out at what they described as the poor response of the Karnataka Government to the misery caused to the people by the recent rain in most parts of the State.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly N. Dharam Singh, who moved an adjournment motion to discuss the havoc caused by floods in various districts, said the Government was pursuing an anti-farmer and anti-people policy and had failed to respond to the people’s needs in the flood-affected areas. The destruction of standing crop by the drought and floods had forced many farmers to commit suicide.

In the Legislative Council, an adjournment motion sought to be moved by the Congress on the alleged failure of the Government to effectively handle the situation following the rain was converted into a short-duration discussion by N. Thippanna, who was presiding.

Mr. Dharam Singh challenged the claim made by Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who holds the Finance portfolio, that there was no dearth of funds for relief. The Government had not refinanced cooperative institutions for waiving crop loans. No plan had been prepared to implement a Rs. 2,689-crore package announced by the Centre in six districts where a large number of farmers had committed suicide, he said.

The former Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, and R.V. Deshpande (Congress), Vatal Nagaraj (Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha), J.C. Madhuswamy (JD-U) and G.V. Srirama Reddy (CPI-M) criticised the Government for its poor handling of floods.

Mr. Deshpande said “the entire State administration has collapsed” and all development schemes had come to a standstill because of weak leadership.

Taking note of the seriousness of the matter, Speaker Krishna converted the adjournment motion into a subject under Rule 69 of the House for a detailed debate.

Congress demand

In the Council, S.R. Patil (Congress) demanded that the Government convince the Centre to form a joint monitoring committee comprising representatives of Karnataka and Maharashtra to alert people about possible floods when the water level increased in the Koyna reservoir in Maharashtra.

He demanded the relocation of 32 villages in Bagalkot district, which were being flooded every year.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National