Karnataka is upset with the Centre as a month after the State submitted a petition appealing for flood relief assistance there is no response from the Union government.
“Let alone flood relief, the Centre is yet to send its team to study the situation in the State," Minister of State for Agriculture Krishna Byre Gowda lamented on Wednesday.
“Is the Centre neglecting Karnataka?,” the minister asked, even while expressing concern over the delay in release of the aid. Pointing that the State had sought an aid of Rs. 266 crore, he said all the guidelines prescribed by the Centre had been taken into consideration while arriving at this figure. Mr. Gowda was speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of a programme organised here on Wednesday to mark the foundation day of the University of Agricultural Sciences-Bangalore.
"Although the Centre has not responded to the flood relief (plea), we have decided to finalise the memorandum seeking Central assistance for taking up drought relief works in about a week," he declared. The memorandum would be submitted after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah approves it.
According to Mr.Gowda, the districts of Kolar, Chickballapur and Bangalore Rural besides parts of Tumkur and Ramanagaram were seriously affected by drought for the fourth consecutive year. As there was a possibility of these districts facing fodder shortage, the State government had instructed the deputy commissioners concerned to procure adequate quantum of fodder besides encouraging farmers themselves to grow fodder crops.
The watershed works would be taken up in these districts under the Krishi Bhagya scheme which would be implemented from the next month in the State, he added.
