Karnataka - Bijapur   

Yeddyurappa to seek more funds from Centre

Rehabilitation measure: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa launching work on relocating Kotyal village in Bijapur district on Tuesday.

Bijapur: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has said that he will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday and seek more funds for relocating the flood-ravaged villages and for providing higher compensation to the affected farmers.

He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for relocating Kotyal village in Bijapur district on Tuesday. Several villages get flooded every time the Don is in spate. Successive governments had failed to relocate the villages to safer places as the elected representatives lacked political will to solve the problem, he said.

“The Bharatiya Janata Party Government is committed to solving the problems of the poor by taking into confidence leaders of all political parties. Various maths, education institutions and non-governmental organisations have contributed generously to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and the same will be utilised for providing basic facilities in the flood-affected areas,” he said.

Officials involved in the flood-relief works would not be allowed to misuse the funds released by the Government, he said and added that action would be initiated against those who showed negligence in providing aid to the flood-affected people.

Commenting on the absence of Basavan Bagewadi MLA S.K. Bellubbi and Indi MLA S.S. Bagali in their respective constituencies for implementing flood-relief works (Mr. Bellubbi and Mr. Bagali are among the BJP MLAs who have associated themselves with the Reddy brothers of Bellary), he advised people to study the attitude of their leaders at such a crucial time and teach them a lesson in future.

“I will personally visit the constituencies where MLAs are not involving themselves in implementing the relief works and solve the problems of the people,” Mr. Yeddyurappa said.

Leaders of other political parties had earlier criticised the State Government’s decision to release funds for various maths.

“They were of the opinion that I (Mr. Yeddyurappa) was trying to please seers of all the maths to remain in power with their support. But today, people of the State have realised the role the maths are playing in solving their problems by sharing the responsibility with the Government,” he said.

Babaleshwar MLA M.B. Patil, who presided over the function, urged the Chief Minister to take steps to conduct resurvey in villages where people had complained about “partiality” by officials in assessing the losses and providing compensation. He also sought action against such officials.

Suttur math seer Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji stated that the math would construct 2,500 houses each in Bagalkot and Bijapur districts at a cost of Rs. 50 crore.

District in-charge Minister Govind Karjol, MLA Appasaheb Pattanshetty, Deputy Commissioner R. Shantraju, chief executive officer of the Bijapur Zilla Panchayat K.H. Kaknur and Superintendent of Police K.V. Shridhar were present.

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Yeddyurappa to seek more funds from Centre

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