Speed up flood relief works, Congress tells K'taka government

Bangalore, Aug 31 (UNI) Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly N Dharam Singh today urged the state government to speed up the relief work in the flood and drought-hit areas.

Speaking at a press conference here, he said with the union government announcing an interim relief of Rs 250 crore to take up relief works yesterday, the state government should initiate immediate steps to take up relief work on a war footing. It should also hold periodical review meetings to ensure proper implementation of works and better utilisation of central funds, he said.

''It should immediately instruct the officials to take up of relief measures to assist the people in the affected areas,'' he said.

He regretted that the JDS-BJP coalition government headed H D Kuamarswamy had not made any detailed study of the areas hit by the two natural calamities.

He accused the government of not making use of the funds allocated by the Centre for under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

''The government has failed to take up development works as it lacked the will to take up such people oriented works,'' he said.

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