K'taka seeks 1,400 cr from Centre for flood relief

Bangalore, June 28 : The Karnataka Government has sought a financial assistance of Rs 1,400 crore from the Centre to carry out relief works in areas hit by floods following unprecedented rains in the state last year, Civil Supplies Minister Govind Karjol informed the Legislative Council today.

Replying to a question raised by Shobha Karandlaje (BJP) on the relief works taken up in these areas, he said the state government had spent Rs 594.45 crore for taking up relief works, including repair of roads, bridges and other public properties.

Reeling out statistics, Mr Karjol said the state had sufferred a total loss of Rs 4,897.61 crore due to the floods last year and had declared all the 27 districts in the state as flood-affected areas.

Over 300 people had lost their lives and their families were totally paid a cash compensation of Rs 1.66 crore. As many as 1,92,864 houses had damaged, including permanent and temporary structures, and a compensation of Rs 27.34 crore was paid.

He said the Union Government had released Rs 444.85 crore for flood relief works and sanctioned 1,200 houses under the Indira Awas scheme. The state had released Rs 149.60 crore on its part.

Mr Karjol said the state had further appealed to the Union Government to release another Rs 1,400 crore for construction of houses and rehabilitation of villages on the banks of river Krishna and Bhima.

It proposed to shift 103 villages coming under Belagaum, Bijapur, Bagalkot, Raichur, Koppal and Gulbarga districts, he added.

The minister also informed that the Centre had fixed Rs 120.38 crore for the state under Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) for the year 2006-07.

Congress members Motamma, V S Sudarshan, R S Patil, and L Hanumanthaiah and JD (U) memebers M P Nada Gouda and Basavaraj Bommai also participated in the discussion.

UNI