The State government on Sunday announced the release of ₹660 crore to take up immediate relief work in the 13 flood-affected districts across Karnataka even as it has sought a central team to assess the damage.
The announcement, by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, came after he chaired a high-level meeting of officials during which the decision was taken. “While ₹510 crore will be released immediately by the State government, we have also decided to utilise ₹150 crore from NDRF funds,” he said.
The State has also written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to send a team to survey the crop damage and full extent of losses owing to floods. “I will also discuss flood relief with the Centre during my visit to Delhi,” he said. He added that though the rain had stopped in most places, floodwater had to still recede from inundated houses and fields in Belagavi, Uttara Kannada, and Udupi districts. “In all, 466 villages have been affected by the floods, in which 13 persons have died and one person remains missing.”
The Chief Minister said the priority was to restore road and bridge connectivity in the flood-affected region. “The work on restoration of roads and bridges will be taken up after the rains recede. The Deputy Commissioners have ₹700 crore in the accounts that will be used to spend on flood relief,” he added.
Compensation
Saying that officials have been asked to complete the survey of damaged homes and agricultural fields, he said the government has decided to stick to the enhanced compensation for damage to houses that was earlier announced during the regime of his predecessor B.S. Yediyurappa. “Accordingly, we will provide ₹5 lakh compensation to completely damaged houses, ₹3 lakh towards partially damaged houses, and ₹50,000 for houses that have had minor damages. We have released ₹10,000 as immediate relief to the families whose houses have been damaged,” the Chief Minister said.
Mr. Bommai also said that instructions have been given to release money if there is any progress on the construction of houses damaged in the previous floods.
Responding to allegations by Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah that dues from the Centre towards flood relief for 2019 had not come to the State yet, Mr. Bommai said the Union government had already released ₹625 crore. “I can also say what happened during his tenure. Being a former Chief Minister, he should not speak like that,” he said.