The Hindu : Front Page : State to seek Rs. 600 cr. from Centre

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Tuesday, Sep 02, 2008
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State to seek Rs. 600 cr. from Centre

Special Correspondent

Minister says 355 villages badly hit by rains, crops worth Rs. 384 crore lost

DEVASTATED: A file picture of a house that collapsed in recent rains at Hunasinakere area in Hassan.

BANGALORE: Revenue Minister K. Karunakar Reddy on Monday said the State Government would prepare a memorandum seeking a compensation of over Rs. 600 crore from the Centre to take up relief measures in the flood-hit areas during the ongoing rainy season.

The Minister told presspersons here on Monday that till four days ago, people in 355 villages had suffered a loss of over Rs. 384 crore owing to rains. They faced hardship because of drought and lost crops to an extent of Rs. 187 crore. The damage caused to the lives, cattle and properties during the last four days would be calculated while finalising the memorandum.

The standing crops on 93,750 acres of land had been destroyed in the rains and crops on 46,000 acres of land in 84 taluks were lost to drought.

While 24 people have been killed during rainy season, 314 heads of cattle perished. He said 8,177 houses had been damaged partially and 138 extensively.

Asked why no important person such as Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa or himself had visited the rain-hit and flood-affected districts and instead they chose to go abroad, Mr. Reddy said he would start inspecting the areas.

The other Ministers and legislators, who had attended the Kannada conference at Chicago, would visit their areas. The Minister said the principal secretaries would inspect the districts in the coming days to assess the damage.

Asked for his comments on the criticism of the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly M. Mallikarjun Kharge, the Minister said he would respond to the criticism after going through the records.

About the rumours that the Government was relaxing the order for registration of agricultural lands in urban areas, which were normally called revenue lands, the Minister said that before relaxing the restrictions, it was better to study the need to widen the road in the area as the owners were bound to start construction activity in unplanned and haphazard manner.

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