Enhance relief: Karnataka CM to Central team

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday prevailed upon the visiting inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) to recommend to the Union government to amend the NDRF (national disaster response force) guidelines and enhance the quantum of relief being provided to the State.

“Karnataka has been witnessing a series of natural disasters such as floods and landslides due to unprecedented rains for four consecutive years. In this background, the state needs more funds to tide over the crisis,” Bommai told the IMCT which called on him here.

IMCT is headed by Sushil Pal, a senior official in the Ministry of Home Affairs. The team is on a four-day visit to the State to assess the damage caused by floods and landslides in July.

Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for sending the team, the Chief Minister said the State has been doing a remarkable job in rescue and relief operations.

“But we need more funds for rehabilitation which is crucial,” he was quoted as saying by his office in a statement.

The Chief Minister explained to the team the gravity of the situation after his visit to Uttara Kannada district following which Rs 500 crore was released for districts of Uttara Kannada and Belagavi, the release said. According to him, the State presented the reports on the damage to the crops and the infrastructure.

“Real time Information is available now due to technology. The Centre also has the required information. It is a heart-rending scene to see people suffering after losing their homes. People have been suffering like this for the last four years,” he told the team.

Noting that damage to roads and the electricity network was heavy, Bommai said, “We have invested heavily in these sectors for the last 15 years and now restoring infrastructure is a “herculean task”.

“Karnataka is a progressive state in terms of agriculture. The farmers had very enthusiastically undertaken sowing of seeds. But unprecedented rains damaged the crop,” he said while expressing the need to recommend an increase in the quantum of funds.

According to the release, Sushil Pal complimented the State government for presenting a factual and objective report.

The team would visit the flood-hit regions from Sunday to September 7. The team would be split into three groups and visit flood and landslide-hit districts of Belagavi, Bagalkot, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada and Haveri.

Revenue Minister R Ashoka said the State government estimated the loss to be of Rs 5,690.52 crore due to flood and landslides in five districts and sought relief of Rs 765.84 crore under the SDRF (state disaster response force) norms.

It pegged the crop loss in 1,94,656 hectares, horticultural loss in 10,076 hectares, damage to 18,719 houses, 22,725 kms of roads and 1,779 bridges, he said