From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bangalore, Feb 23: Emphasising the need for providing permanent shelter as part of the rehabilitation programme for the thousands of the people who were rendered homeless during the century’s worst-ever flood havoc, mostly in the north Karnataka region, during last monsoon, Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has asked all the donor organisations to complete the construction of houses by the end of June.
``We should ensure that the people who were rendered homeless during the last monsoon are safely sheltered before the onset of monsoon,’’ he said while addressing a meeting of representatives of donor organisations which had signed memoranda of understanding (MoU) with the government for construction of houses.
Construction of 13,500 houses had already been taken up and was in various stages of completion. ``We need to increase the pace of work and build more houses,’’ he said.
The chief minister pointed out that the victims were presently housed in tin-roofed temporary constructions which were not suitable for monsoon season. Construction of houses by donors was getting delayed as they were not taking up construction of all the houses simultaneously, he said.
``You are presently taking up construction of houses in a phased manner of on a one-village-at-a-time basis. We want you to start work in all the villages simultaneously in a bid to expedite the work," he said and assured that the government would help them in arranging for contractors and labourers to take up simultaneous construction of houses in different villages.
As many as 63,191 families in 305 flood-affected villages have to be provided new houses. Of these villages, 147 have to be shifted completely while 158 needed partial relocation, he said.
Land acquisition was pending only in 15 villages while it was complete in 290 villages. Layouts had already been formed in 267 villages with roads and temporary water and power connection, he said.
The government had so far acquired 5,836 acres of land for the construction of houses for the flood victims. As of now, the donors had signed MoUs with the deputy commissioners of districts for taking up construction of houses in 195 villages and the construction had started in 35 villages, the chief minister said.
About 55 donors from various parts of the country had come forward to help the government in building houses for the flood victims, Yeddyurappa said and expressed his gratitude for them by terming the gesture as ``unprecedented in the country’s history.”
Some of the donors, however, voiced concern over frequent power interruptions in rural areas and pointed out that the situation had affected the pace of work at the brick-making units set up by them near the construction sites.
Revenue minister Karunanakara Reddy, housing and IT/BT minister Katta Subramanya Naidu and other senior officials were present during the interactkion.