PM’s grant of Rs 1,000 cr `disappointing,’ says Venkaiah
From Our Special Correspondent - Daijiworld Media Network
Bangalore, Oct 10: Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu has criticised Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s Rs 1,000 crore central assistance to Karnataka to undertake relief and rehabilitation works as ``highly disappointing.’’
Addressing a news conference in Bangalore, the former BJP national president urged the Congress-led UPA regime to ``immediately release Rs 5,000 crore to the state as the first instalment of central aid’’ to take up relief and rehabilation works on a war-footing in the rain-devastated northern and coastal parts of Karnataka.
Naidu, who hails from Andhra Pradesh but is a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, said lakhs of people were struggling to keep body and soul together after losing everything including their loved ones, homes, belongings, crop and cattle.
Dr Singh’s decision to release Rs. 1,000 crore to the state ``is not all sufficient and it is disappointing,’’ he said.
Funds at the disposal of the State Government were inadequate for taking up relief and rehabilitation works in 18 districts of Karnataka, he said demanding that the state Government should be assured of funds by the Centre for construction of schools, houses, community halls, gram panchayat buildings, repair of roads and power utilities.
The BJP leader felt the Prime Minister should have visited the state earlier to assess the gravity of the situation in flood-affected villages as the devastation in was the worst-ever in the state’s history.
He demanded that the Central team of officials must be rushed to state immediately to assess the damage to private and public properties. Normal bureaucratic delays should not be allowed as the rehabilitation was a massive exercise that would take at least six months to one year.
Naidu, who visited Bellary, Koppal and Raichur districts to obtain first hand information about the extent of damages in villages located on the banks of either side of Krishna, Bheema and Tungabhadra rivers, suggested both the state and central governments to take up a massive social forestry programme to prevent flash floods in the future.
He promised to grant Rs 1 crore from his Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund for construction of schools in rain devastated districts of north Karnataka and announced his personal contribution of Rs 1 lakh for the Chief Minister’ Relief Fund.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President R V Deshpande expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister for responding to the plight of the people of the state by announcing an interim assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for flood relief and rehabilitation works.
The promise to dispatch a Central team of officers to assess the damage and release further financial assistance was a ``slap on the face for some BJP leaders’’ for accusing the Centre of adopting a ``step-motherly policy’’ towards Karnataka, he said pointing out that the Prime Minister had proved his promise of not allowing any discrimination or political prejudice in tackling natural calamities.
Deshpande, who called on the Prime Minister and submitted a memoranda on behalf of the state Congress unit, urged the state government to compile and furnish authentic data on the extent of damages and loss of life and properties to enable the Centre to come a proper assessment. ``We will do our bit to help the state to secure higher allocation of central assistance,’’ he declared.