Karnataka’s Floods are a `calamity of Severe Nature,’ says Central Team
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bangalore, Oct 23:  ``It is a calamity of severe nature’’ was the cryptic remark by the chief of the nine-member Central study team, which toured most of the affected districts of north Karnataka during the last thee days to assess the situation, during an interaction with the media in Bangalore on Friday.

Speaking to reporters after a high-level meeting with the senior government officials including the chief secretary,  the joint secretary (DM) in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs O Ravi, said all the members of the team would sit together and finalise the report in a week or two and submit it to the Centre.

The team, which held a detailed discussion with Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, revenue minister G Karunakar Reddy, rural development and panchayat raj minister Shobha Karandlaje, home minister Dr V S Acharya and others, felt the state government’s assessment of the total estimated losses of Rs 18,500 crore was ``more or less correct.’’

"We have received graphic details from the affected people and officials regarding the collapse or damages of houses, destruction of standing agricultural and horticulture crops, roads, bridges and culverts as also roads and electricity equipments,’’  Ravi said and disclosed that the team would submit a detailed report
before the Inter-ministerial group of the union government shortly.

The Inter ministerial group after studying the report would recommend the nature of Central assistance on the flood damage to the high-level ministerial groups comprising finance, agriculture, home ministries as also the deputy chairman of the planning commission, he said.

The memorandum submitted by the state government and the detailed presentations would be correlated with the team’s assessment regarding the devastation of damages to houses and other rural infrastructure, agricultural and horticultural crops, soil erosion and destruction of public and private properties.

Ravi made it clear that the team had not received any serious complaints from the displaced persons against the state government’s handling of the relief works.  The affected persons have been given necessary assistance and allowance. They have opened bank accounts.

Farmers in several places wanted crop loans and waiver of the loans already sanctioned. ``We can only forward these facts for consideration by the appropriate authorities. But the team is not in a position to do anything. It is outside our mandate,’’ he said.

“Affected persons have been given necessary assistance and allowance. They have opened bank accounts. During our visit we did not receive any serious complaints from any of the affected persons. Large number of people wanted crop loans. That is beyond the mandate of the team. We will bring this to the notice of the competent authority”,  he said.

Declining to classify the state’s worst-ever flood havoc in the northern Karnataka districts as a ``national disaster,’’ as demanded by the chief minister in order to secure special central assistance, Ravi said:

``There is no doubt that it is a calamity of severe nature and required huge funds for rehabilitation.’’

He clarified that there was no specific provision for declaring any natural calamity as a `national disaster’’ and stated that the state government would receive the financial assistance from the Centre under the existing norms formulated by the 12th Finance Commission under the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) in 2007.

The state government has demanded relaxation of the existing norms.  ``We will place it before competent authorities for consideration,’’ he said pointing out that it would be  considered by the Central committee formed to assist the 13th Finance Commission for framing suitable norms and guidelines and the exercise might go on for another six months.

The nine member team split into three groups had toured the worst flood-affected districts of Gulbarga, Bijapur, Raichur, Koppal, Bellary, Gadag, Belgaum and Bagalkote to get a first-hand account and assessment of the situation.