The Hindu : Front Page : ‘State’s loss assessment appropriate’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 24, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

‘State’s loss assessment appropriate’

Special Correspondent

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Taking stock: Chief Secretary S.V. Ranganath (left) with team leader O. Ravi in Bangalore on Friday.

BANGALORE: Even as the State Government has requested the Union Government to declare the devastating floods in north Karnataka a “national calamity”, a Central team, which completed its tour of the flood-hit areas for an on-the-spot assessment of the damage, said on Friday that there were no prescribed specifications to declare any calamity a national calamity.

However, the nine-member team of officials not only termed the floods in the northern parts of the State a “calamity of very severe nature”, but also observed that the assessment of losses made by the State Government appeared to be “appropriate”. According to the State Government’s assessment, the floods have caused losses totalling Rs. 18,000 crore.

Addressing presspersons here before winding up their visit, Joint Secretary, Union Home Ministry (Disaster Management) O. Ravi, who headed the team, said, “We have a list of identified calamities. But there is nothing called a national calamity.”

He explained that assistance for flood relief would have to be given to Karnataka according to the norms prescribed in 2007 under the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF). These norms had been evolved according to the recommendations of the 12th Finance Commission. However, the team would place Karnataka’s request for relaxing these norms before the Centre.

Mr. Ravi said the Central team would finalise its report after the State Government provided clarifications sought by it regarding the damage caused by the floods to infrastructure and crops, and soil erosion. The team would submit its report regarding the flood havoc and losses to an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) of the Home Ministry in about a week or two. The recommendation of this group would be placed before a high-level committee comprising the Ministers for Finance, Home, Agriculture and the Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission.

After the field visit to the affected areas, the team held consultations with senior officials of the State Government including the Chief Secretary and also met Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page