DH News Service
Mangalore, Jul 14: Loss of upto Rs 30 crore to Rs 45 crore has occurred in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts due to incessant rains. However, the State government has failed to correctly assess the loss and provide compensation immediately, said KPCC member and former minister Ramanath Rai.
Speaking at a press meet here on Friday, he said the loss was estimated in the three districts by the committee constituted by the Congress Party to assess the damages. Mr Rai informed that the committee which was led by him had visited the three districts and the report of the findings will be submitted shortly to KPCC President Mallikarjuna Kharge.
The committee found out that in Dakshina Kannada district alone, rain havoc has left five people dead apart from damaging 752 houses partially and destroying 51 houses completely. The loss here has been put at around Rs 15 crore, while government figures show much lesser damage. Similar is the case in Udupi district, where six people fell prey to rain fury while 700 houses were damaged. In Uttara Kannada district, two people lost their lives while 716 houses were damaged. The committee estimates losses upto Rs 10 crore and Rs 20 crore in Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts respectively. In Sanoor alone, loss has been estimated at Rs 1 crore due to uprooting of arecanut and coconut trees and water logging in fields. However, the compensation provided was very meagre.
Similarly, in Karkala taluk, loss upto Rs 1 crore has occurred while the compensation amounted upto Rs 40,000. The Revenue Department should have promptly conducted a survey and provided compensation as the situation is quite grave. However, the government has been ‘lethargic,’ he accused.
The chief minister has not kept his promise made last year during his visit to Ullal to solve the problem of sea erosion. Even temporary measures like stacking stones has not been undertaken, he criticised. Committee members Mamatha D S Gatti, former mayor Vijaya Arun and former MLA Vijay Kumar Shetty were present at the press meet.