The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Government to seek funds from Centre for flood relief measures

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Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Government to seek funds from Centre for flood relief measures

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: The Karnataka Government will submit a memorandum to the Centre seeking financial assistance for the damage caused by floods in several districts of the State. Areas around the Krishna and the Cauvery basin have been affected and the State Government has clarified that the sudden release of a huge quantum of water from the Koyna dam in Maharashtra had resulted in unforeseen problems in the areas downstream of the dam in Karnataka.

A Cabinet subcommittee, headed by Revenue Minister G. Karunakara Reddy, constituted to oversee the flood situation and relief work met here on Tuesday to take stock of the situation. The other members of the committee are Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Shobha Karandlaje, Minister for Agriculture S.A. Ravindranath and Minister for Animal Husbandry Revu Naik Belamgi.

Shifting villages

Mr. Karunakara Reddy said the subcommittee has decided to recommend to the Cabinet to shift 192 villages in nine districts which were submerged due to heavy rains and floods in some of the rivers and rivulets. The Ministers felt that the only way to provide permanent relief to the people is to shift the low-lying villages, although it would be expensive to carry out such a programme.

With reference to an allegation made by the Leader of the Opposition and President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee M. Mallikarjun Kharge that the Government had not cared to attend to the requirements of the flood victims and that the district authorities were short of funds, the Revenue Minister said he was continuously in touch with all the Deputy Commissioners and had also visited several of the districts. He said: “I have also conducted an aerial survey of Bijapur, Dharwad, Davangere, Bagalkot and Belgaum, along with the Chief Minister. The Deputy Commissioners of the flood affected districts have been given Rs. 115 crore. There is absolutely no fund shortage.”

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