Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB/JD)
Udupi, Jul 13: After a two-and-half hour long review meeting with the officials of three districts, Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said the government would release Rs 500 crore immediately for the restoration of infrastructure like roads, bridges, electric poles and transformers.
Addressing the media here on Wednesday, July 13, he said, "We will approach the central government, NDRF, to release funds for the natural disaster management, once we get the comprehensive report from all the districts. The state team is all set to face natural calamities and ready to release compensation without any delay. We are not able to prevent sea erosion effectively. We have spent Rs 300 crore for this purpose under the ADB project. There is a 330-km long seashore in the coastal region. There were defects in earlier construction. After seeing all the issues, we have decided to go for wave breakers like Kerala. The pilot project will begin from Ullal in Mangaluru, based on a trial and error basis. If we get good results, we will go for a permanent project. We will prepare a DPR at the earliest and based on whether it is feasible, we will invite external agency funding. We will release finance to draft a DPR."
He informed that an instruction had been given to the Amruthnandamayi University to do a detailed study on landslides, earthquakes in western ghats. The government has approached four institutions, the Geographical Survey of India, NDRL, Bangalore and Mysore universities, specially for studying earthquakes, he added.
CM Bommai said , "I have visited Kodagu, Mysuru, Udupi and other flood affected districts with a team of ministers. In July, the state experienced heavy rainfall when compared to the previous two months. Actually we were expecting rain in the months of April and May but it was average. Four districts Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Karwar and Uttara Kannada experienced heavy rains in this month. Based on the report we received till today, 32 people have lost their lives, five are missing, 34 injured and 300 have been evacuated. In all, 14 relief camps have been set up and four NDRF and SDRF teams each are already engaged in rescue operations."
He said, “Crops have been destroyed across 216 hectares in Dakshina Kannada and 129 hectares in Udupi district. Fifty-eight houses have collapsed, 26 are heavily damaged and 1,062 houses are partially damaged. About 2187 km of roads including PWD and rural roads (RDPRS) have been damaged. Of this 727 km belong to Dakshina Kannada, 500 km to Uttara Kannada and 960 km to Udupi. About 5,595 electric poles have fallen affecting power supply in the three districts. Work is on to restore power and 422 transformers are being repaired.
“Though the NDRF norms prescribe Rs 3,200 compensation each for houses which have collapse as an immediate relief, the state government is giving Rs 10,000. Damage to houses has been categorised as A, B and C. For category A, Rs 5 lac is being provided as compensation for completely destroyed houses, Rs 3 lac for B category of extensively damaged houses and Rs 50,000 for category C of partially destroyed houses which is far more than the sum fixed by the union government at Rs 95,000 for category A and B and Rs 5,000 for category C.
“As for crop losses, the NDRF has fixed an input subsidy of Rs 6,800 per hectare for dry land crops. However, the state government is paying Rs 13,600. Similarly, this year too, Rs 13,600 will be paid as farm input subsidy per hectare. For wetland crops, Rs 25,000 will be paid per hectare as against the input subsidy of Rs 13,500 fixed by the union government. For horticulture crops, the union government is providing an input subsidy of Rs 18,000, while the state government is giving Rs 28,000 to help the farmers.
“A solatium of Rs 4 lac is being paid by the union government for the families of those killed in natural calamities like floods. However, the state government has raised it to Rs 5 lac. Those sheltered in care centres are being provided with nutritious meals which includes eggs,” Bommai said.
'Clarifications over national emblem already issued'
Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has said that clarifications about the ongoing controversy over the national emblem on top of the parliament building have already been issued.
He said that the emblem that was prevalent during the era of King Ashoka at Saranatha is imitated and the face of the lion is picked from it. “The emblem is according to the direction of one's sight.
"Its fierceness shows our way of thinking. The opposition party is trying to find stones in curds.
The angles from which Congress and we look are different. Congress looks for politics in it. We have a creative and active prime minister. Our lion is fierce. Congress has believed in the sleeping lion. It reflects on Congress culture,” said Bommai.