From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Sep 7: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who held a discussion with the Central Study Team on the rain havoc and floods in Bengaluru and other parts of the State, to recommend a fair and just compensation to Karnataka as per the Central guidelines.
The Central Study Team headed by Union Home Ministry’s Joint Secretary Ashish Kumar held a discussion with the Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers and senior officials of the State Government on the rain havoc and floods in different parts of the State in July, August and the first week of this month.
The State Government provided details of the extent of damages and losses to property due to the floods and heavy rains in different districts.
Bommai said the State Government has already submitted reports of the estimates of the damages and losses. In addition, the damages and losses due to the recent downpour since a week in Bengaluru, Ramanagara, Mandya and other districts will be assessed and a supplementary estimate would be submitted immediately.
The Central Study Team had chalked up a programme to visit Chitradurga, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Haveri, Dharwad, Gadag, Bidar, Kalaburgi and Yadgir districts. The Chief Minister suggested that the Team should also visit and inspect the situation in Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts, which also suffered due to severe landslides, sea erosion besides losses to crops. The situation in Bengaluru city and neighbouring districts of Mandya and Ramanagara must also be visited to get a clear picture.
Bommai said a large number of fishing boats, shops and other places had suffered extensive damages and losses. The Ramanagara Silk Reeling and Twisting Units also suffered heavy losses, which is unprecedented. The situation must be considered in humanitarian manner as the livelihood of large number of families has been affected.
The Chief Minister said the State suffered serious damages due to sea erosion and the government has already taken up work to check the situation at a cost of Rs 350 crore. However, the sea erosion took place in other places and suggested that the State needs major Central assistance to tackle the problems in its 330 kms long coastline.
The districts in Northern Karnataka suffered unprecedented and serious floods leading to major losses in Kalaburgi, Gadag, Bidar, Koppal and other districts.
The Chief Minister informed the Central Team that Karnataka has been facing heavy downpours since the last November and almost all tanks and lakes have filled up and several tanks had breached. The flooding due to swollen rivers was another problem, he said and felt the rain pattern in the State needs an in depth study.
The State Government has released Rs 1,600 crore for repairs of infrastructure facilities since the last November. The government has spent another Rs 1,160 crore towards payment of compensation to farmers for crop losses.
The Central Study Team headed by Union Home Ministry’s Joint Secretary Ashish Kumar comprises of Union Finance Ministry’s Deputy Secretary Mahesh Kumar, Assistant Director of the Energy Ministry, Jal Shakti Ministry’s Ashok Kumar, Union Road Transport and Highway Ministry’s V V Shashtri, Dr K Manohar of Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister as well as Union Rural Development Ministry’s S B Tiwari.
The Chief Minister was assisted by ministers Govind M Karjol, C C Patil, Araga Jnanedra, Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary N Manjunath Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary Dr Rajneesh Goel, Finance Department Additional Chief Secretary I S N Prasad, Revenue Department Additional Chief Secretary G Kumar Naik, Natural Disasters Management Commissioner Manoj Rajan and other senior officials.