Karnataka Cabinet to meet Thursday, discuss Bengaluru floods

BENGALURU: Rain and floods will top the agenda when the Karnataka cabinet meets at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday. The deluge in the IT corridor, flood control and related issues are expected to be discussed by the ministry.  

The government has come in for some stinging criticism for its failure to handle the rain and floods. Incidentally, the cabinet meeting is slated for the same day as the ‘Janotsava’ celebrations, when BJP National President J P Nadda is expected to be in town.

Sources said although the cabinet had earlier decided on removal of encroachments on natural waterways or rajakaluves, especially around RR Nagar and other parts of Bengaluru, they are yet to be removed.
The cabinet had discussed how water drains out from Bengaluru through natural drainage points of Vrishabhavati and Koramangala-Challaghatta valleys, and how they were choked due
to encroachments.

Opposition leader Siddaramaiah criticised the BJP for failing to have a minister exclusively for the development of Bengaluru, as the Congress government did. At present, Bengaluru is being handled by Chief Minister Bommai, and is one of the portfolios he inherited from former CM BS Yediyurappa.