The Hindu : Karnataka News : Patil comes down on Government

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Friday, Jul 27, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Patil comes down on Government

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council H. K. Patil on Wednesday alleged that the Government was yet to form a disaster management authority, headed by the Chief Minister, though a notification was issued by the Centre nearly a year ago making it mandatory for States to set up such authorities.

Participating in a discussion in the House on “losses due to the recent rain fury in the State”, Mr. Patil said the Centre notified the National Disaster Management Act on July 28, 2006.

As per the provisions of the Act, the States were supposed to constitute 10-member disaster management authorities for preparing a disaster management plan and review the measures being taken to mitigate the sufferings due to disasters and the preparedness of various government departments for facing them.

As per the provisions of the Act, the State authority was also supposed to constitute a State executive committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, to assist it.

It was also supposed to constitute advisory committee, comprising experts in the field of disaster management, to make recommendations on different aspects of disaster management, he explained.

‘Irresponsibility’

The failure to form the disaster management authority had showed that the Government was irresponsible and apathetic to the sufferings of people, he said.

It would have been possible to handle the recent rain fury in an effective way if the State had formed such an authority, he maintained.

Mr. Patil also demanded setting up of a flood management control authority in Belgaum for monitoring the release of water from the Alamatti and Narayanapur reservoirs to prevent submergence of low-lying villages.

He said the proposed committee should be headed by the Regional Commissioner of Belgaum. Such a committee was necessary as people were put to inconvenience due to the sudden release of water from Krishna river, leading to submergence of villages, he said.

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