From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Aug 23: The centre is committed to the rehabilitation of Kodagu district and neighboring Kerala, union minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar said here on Thursday, August 23.
He was speaking after sending off a truck each to Kodagu and Kerala carrying the Jan Aushadi medicines worth Rs 1 crore besides 10,000 Janaushadi Suvidha sanitary napkins on behalf of the voluntary organization Adamya Chetana at the National High school grounds.
Kumar said the Jan Aushadi carried by the trucks comprise 102 types of generic medicines worth Rs 1 crore which has a market value (branded version) value of Rs 3 crore, besides Janaaushadi Suvidha sanitary napkins to be distributed free in Kodagu and Kerala.
Medicines for diabetes, blood pressure, heart ailments and malaria are part of the consignment sent in the trucks. The medicines are of a quality approved by WHO, he said.
The BJP leader said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the same concern for Kodagu as he has for Kerala State and is aware of the loss and damage caused to the rain-hit district.
“In this regard, we have already had a discussion with union home minister Rajnath Singh, minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and union minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri,” he said.
In Kodagu and Kerala, he said there has been widespread damages to thousands of kilometers of roads, collapse of houses and landslides.
The rehabilitation is best left to experts. The immediate concern is safety of life followed by rehabilitation in the long run, he said.
Kumar said that rains have just subsided in Kodagu and Kerala and the priority is for the safety of life.
The report of the expert committee will be taken into consideration to take permanent steps which will take time. The centre is committed to the rehabilitation to Kodagu and Kerala, he added.
The union minister said the centre is also committed to the long term initiatives taken in respect of the earthquake in Surat of Gujarat and the Orissa floods. Similarly, the centre is committed to the rehabilitation of Kodagu, he added.
Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya, Chickpet MLA Uday Garudachar and former Mayor Nataraj were present.