The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Congress seeks Manmohan’s help

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Saturday, Oct 10, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Congress seeks Manmohan’s help

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president R.V. Deshpande, working president D.K. Shivakumar, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council V.S. Ugrappa and the former minister Basavaraj Rayareddi have urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to help north Karnataka region by rebuilding the rural economy and declare the recent floods a national calamity.

Speaking to presspersons after flagging off three trucks filled with medicines to the flood-ravaged districts, Mr. Deshpande said that he would present a memorandum to the Prime Minister in Raichur on Saturday.

Fertile lands had been washed away, standing crops destroyed and six lakh houses collapsed. Small and marginal farmers had lost their household articles and utensils, cattle and livestock. Interest-free loan should be given to buy livestock. Villagers should be shifted to safe places by constructing calamity-resistant houses under a special scheme., he said

Mr. Deshpande said that flood-affected people should be supplied with clean drinking water, food, medicine, clothes and blankets at least for two months. Farm bunds, waste weirs, nala bunds and farm ponds and all rural roads should be rebuilt. Crop insurance be provided to the farmers and jobs.

Mr. Deshpande advised the BJP leaders not to politicise the sufferings of the people.

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