K'taka lax in taking up flood relief works: Dharam

Gulbarga, Aug 16: Former Karnataka Chief Minister and leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly N Dharam Singh today expressed dissatisfaction over the State Government's handling of relief works in flood-hit areas of North Karnataka.

Addressing a press conference here, he accused the Government of showing laxity in tackling the flood havoc and said top bureaucrats had failed to visit the affected areas to get first hand information of the grim situation.

''Even Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy undertook an aerial survey in a hurried manner and did not take the issue seriously,'' he charged, asking the State not to wait for Central assistance since it had Rs 128 crore allocated under the 'National Calamity Fund'.

Mr Singh suggested that Karnataka hold talks with rain-hit Maharashtra to check the heavy discharge of water from its Ujjini and Veerbhatkal reservoirs, which had wreaked havoc in North Karnataka for over a month now.

Mr Singh informed that he would lead a delegation to the Prime Minister to seek early release of funds for taking up relief works. Dismissing as ''baseless'' the allegation that illegal mining had taken roots in the State during his regime, the former Chief Minister said he was ready to face any kind of probe in the matter.

Reiterating his party's demand for a CBI proibe into the Rs 150 crore bribery allegation against Mr Kumaraswamy, he said ''let (BJP Legislator) G Janardhana Reddy who levelled the allegation prove the charge.'' Asked about the charge made by a former senior police official that multi-crore stamp paper scam prime accused Abdul Kareem Telgi had met several Congress leaders, he said there was neither any truth in the charge nor any credibility in the officer's statement.

Mr Singh said the All India Progressive Janata Dal would merge with the Congress in the presence of party President Sonia Gandhi in Bangalore on September three.

Later, he visited the flood-affected areas, including Katti Sangvi bridge on the Gulbarga-Bangalore State highway which had developed cracks.

UNI