An ‘all-party delegation’ will soon meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at New Delhi and also Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to request release of adequate funds to tackle severe drought conditions haunting the people of the district for the third consecutive year, Small-Scale Industries Minister and district in-charge Ramesh L. Jarkiholi has said.
Speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the 68th Republic Day celebrations here on Thursday, he said the State government had already made available Rs.12 crore to take up relief measures in 10 taluks of the district, which however, was not sufficient considering the geographical expand and a large population living in rural areas. The delegation would request the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister to release adequate funds as the severity of the drought was bound to increase with the onset of the summer soon.
The district administration had opened a fodder bank in Bailhongal taluk. Taluk-level review of the situation had been carried out to take up relief works and provide jobs to the needy under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and thereby prevent migration to the extent possible.
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Earlier, Mr. Jarkiholi unfurled the national flag and felicitated freedom fighters and achievers in the field of education, sports and arts. Suresh C. Angadi, MP, MLAs, Deputy Commissioner N. Jayaram, Police Commissioner T.G. Krishna Bhat, Superintendent of Police B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda and several other dignitaries were present.
IT raids
Mr. Jarkiholi, whose residential buildings were raided by the Income Tax department, declined to comment on these raids and said nobody demanded his resignation. He only said: “If IT raids are considered, then the entire Cabinet would be empty.”
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