Karunakara Reddy Backtracks on Miners’ Promise to Build 50,000 Houses
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bangalore, July 22: Karnataka’s powerful Revenue Minister Gali Karunakara Reddy, the elder brother of Tourism and Infrastructure Minister Gali Janardhana Reddy, has virtually backtracked on their promise of constructing 50,000 houses for the rehabilitation of last year’s flood havoc in north Karnataka – especially in the three districts of Bellary, Gadag and Koppal.

The Bellary mining lords, who were busy in their bitter campaign for the ouster of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa last year and had launched a parallel programme for constructing 50,000 houses from the contributions of the mining lobby even before the state government could initiate its own ``Asare” rehabilitation programme, had ``not promised construction of houses,” Karunakara Reddy said.

Answering questions from reporters at a news conference on the rainfall situation in the state along with the state’s Agriculture Minister S A Ravindranath, the Revenue Minister made it clear that they had only said that the Government would construct houses with the support of donors in 14
flood-hit districts.

Asked why miners backtracked on ``construction of houses, the minister said: ``You better ask Minister for Tourism G Janardhana Reddy” and refused to answer any further questions.
 
33 VILLAGES FACE DRINKING WATER PROBLEMS; 12% DEFICIT RAINS IN STATE:
              
As many as 33 villages in the state were facing severe drinking water problems and Karnataka suffered a deficit of 12 % in the rainfall so far having received 319.9 mm of rains against the normal 364.3.3 mm as on July 22, according to ministers Ravindranath and Karunakara Reddy

The rainfall was less than normal in eight districts – Haveri, Dharwad, Shimoga, Hassan, Chikmagalur, Kodagu, Dakshina Kananda and Uttara Kannada. The deficit rainfall has been reported from 29 taluks from the past four weeks.

The ministers said the state is expected to get heavy rains in the next five days. Sowing had been completed on 39.35 lakh hectares against the normal 45.98 lakh hectares, a shortage of 14 %.

Nearly 40 % of the tanks were yet to receive rain water while 56 tanks have shortage of their capacities. A total of 33 villages have been facing severe drinking water problems and tankers have been pressed into service to ensure supply of potable water to
residents.

Twenty-two villages of Kolar, seven villages of Bijapur, three villages of Belgaum and one village of Gulbarga have been facing drinking water problems. However, there was no shortage of fodder, they said.

However, according to a report of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, rainfall was The excess in 22 districts from July 16 t0 22. Out of 176 taluks, excess rainfall was in 93 taluks, normal in 25, deficient in 51 and scanty in seven taluks.

The Revenue Minister said Deputy Commissioners have been instructed to take up all precautionary measures for prevention of rain related accidents.

Ravindranath said sowing would pick up soon following normal monsoon in Malnad and coastal districts. The State has set a target for sowing at 74.63 lakh hectares during the current kharif season.