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Karnataka

Karnataka

People betrayed: Manpade

Staff Correspondent

‘BJP has neglected flood victims and relief work’

‘Crop damage assessment unscientific’
Rally planned in Bangalore on November 25

Maruti Manpade

Chitradurga: State secretariat member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Maruti Manpade has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in the State of betraying the people and said that while north Karnataka was reeling under post-flood trauma, BJP leaders were busy with “moral science classes” in Suttur Math. Now, they were busy sorting out their internal differences, regardless of the plight of the flood victims.

Addressing presspersons here on Saturday, Mr. Manpade said the BJP had lost the moral authority to rule the State as its leaders appeared to be fighting amongst themselves for power.

Describing the assessment of crop damage in the recent floods as unscientific and incorrect, Mr. Manpade demanded that the State Government revise its findings. He said the Government had estimated the crop damage at Rs. 18,600 crore, while the actual loss had been nearly Rs. 30,000 crore.

The loss of maize alone accounted for around Rs. 8,000 crore, after which came paddy (Rs. 6,000 crore). Horticultural crops worth Rs. 3,000 crore too had been damaged, he claimed.

On the compensation payable to the flood-affected people, Mr. Manpade said the Union Government was still following old norms framed during British rule. “Under these, the Government is giving only Rs. 800 an acre as compensation for dryland and Rs. 1,600 for irrigated land. This amount is too inadequate to compensate for the losses,” he said.

The only way to provide better compensation was either to declare the floods a natural calamity or make the necessary amendments in the rules governing award of compensation. Unfortunately, the Union Minister for Labour and Employment, M. Mallikarjun Kharge, had said that the Government could not meet either of the demands, Mr. Manpade said.

Referring to the Union Government’s proposal to amend the National Food Security Act, he said essential food items should be included in the Act, and it should be ensured that they were sold through the public distribution system.

To press for the demand, the party would hold a protest rally in Bangalore on November 25, which would be attended by national leaders such as A.B. Bardhan and Prakash Karat.

The party’s organising secretary for Chitradurga and Davangere districts L.B. Bhat was present.

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