Karnataka - Bangalore   

No need to drop Bellary Ministers, says Yeddyurappa

Bangalore: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Saturday ruled out dropping the three Bellary Ministers in the light of the Andhra Pradesh Government preferring an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation and an empowered committee of the Supreme Court also filing an adverse report into the iron-ore mining operations by the companies owned by them.

He told presspersons: “We have not reached a situation that calls for dropping of the Ministers. There is also no need for the State Government to prefer a CBI inquiry into the mining operations on the Karnataka side. Our focus now is on speedy execution of the rehabilitation work for the benefit of the flood-affected people.” To a specific question, the Chief Minister said the State Government will would cooperate with the CBI, if need be.

The three Ministers from Bellary district — G. Karunakara Reddy, G. Janardhan Reddy and B. Sriramulu — had led the rebels seeking removal of Mr. Yeddyurappa as leader of the BJP Legislature Party and had demanded the installation of Jagadish Shettar in his place. Within days of a truce between the two groups in the State unit of the BJP, the Government of Andhra Pradesh referred the mining operations by the Bellary ministers to an inquiry by the CBI.

With reference to the rehabilitation work, the Chief Minister asserted that the Government had taken up relief and rehabilitation works in the flood ravaged areas on a “war-footing”.

The district authorities have so far spent Rs. 1,032 crore of the Rs. 1,579 crore released, and in another few weeks the construction of houses in all the districts will be in full swing. The plan is to complete the construction of nearly three lakh houses in about six months .

Mr. Yeddyurappa said the Union Government had so far released Rs. 839 crore, including Rs. 500 crore of the Rs. 1,000 crore promised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

“I plan to call on the Prime Minister again and impress on him to grant more assistance as sought in the memorandum submitted by the State Government. A Central study team has also said that the State requires more assistance since the devastation is of a high order,” he said.

Earlier the State Government signed a MoU with the Netherlands-based Cyan Holdings, a company engaged in pre-fabricated housing, for construction of 50,000 houses for flood-affected people in the state. State Housing Secretary K. V. Kongwad and representative of Cyan Holding Bidiadhar Ja Jairam inked the MoU in the presence of the Chief Minister. The Netherlands will provide 75 per cent of funding for the project while the State Government would provide 25 per cent. The houses would be constructed by the company and the State Government would provide the requisite land and other infrastructure.

Mr. Yeddyurappa said several organisations within the country and some from abroad had come forward to help the State in the construction of houses and this included business establishments from Taiwan, South Korea and the United States, apart from the NRI-owned company from the Netherlands.

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

Stories in this Section

Cancer and stem cells
Revolving door of Raichur
Some good signs, but miles to go on child development
No need to drop Bellary Ministers, says Yeddyurappa
‘Absence of dissent worrying’
Agreement
Power theft
Research is key to development of agricultural sector, says Ashok
Farmers tire of waiting
Donation
KPRS to join protest against price rise
Meet to share experiences on globalisation
Students told to furnish bank details
Cost of Vajra bus passes slashed
BBMP seeks public help in reducing waste
Waste management cells at government hospitals
When the bows drew wows
Parking space for people with disabilities
In Bangalore Today

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu