Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has announced the formation of the Kodagu development authority to enable speedy reconstruction of the district, parts of which were ravaged by floods and landslips this August.
He was interacting with the affected people at Gandhi Maidan in Madikeri on Wednesday. Mr. Kumaraswamy said he received memorandums from the people to constitute a separate authority and found merit in the suggestion. “An authority under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister will be constituted to expedite the relief and rehabilitation work in Kodagu,” said Mr. Kumaraswamy.
The Chief Minister also said the educational expenses of children affected will be entirely borne by the government while emphasis will also be on restoration of schools and colleges that were damaged during the natural calamity.
In addition, emphasis will be on restoration of farm land, including plantations, for which staff from other districts too will be deployed or posted to agriculture and horticulture departments. He said the State government had released ₹127 crore for the rehabilitation works in the district so far.
There were nearly 800 families who had lost their houses and the government will release ₹10,000 per month towards house rentals as a temporary measure. Each family that has been bereft of its property will receive ₹8.53 lakh as compensation and the reconstruction of houses will be taken up quickly, he added.
The objective of the interaction programme was to infuse confidence among the victims and elicit their views and expectations from the authorities. Mr. Kumaraswamy said he will visit the district again to review the rehabilitation.
