Centre advised not to use flood relief funds: Kumaraswamy

Belgaum, Sep 29 (UNI) Refuting the Opposition charges that his government was lax in taking up relief works in flood and drought-hit areas and spending Rs 250 crore Central assistance, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today said on the floor of the Assembly that the Union Finance Ministry has advised the State against utilising the Central aid till further advise.

Replying in detail to a debate on drought and implementation of the Nanjundappa Committee report on removing regional imbalance, he said the state government was making earnest efforts to tackle the situation and had released Rs 234.44 crore for the purpose. However, following the union government's advise, it was awaiting clearance to use the Central funds.

The Government would constitute a task force to monitor the situation and there was no dearth of funds. He had also instructed the officials concerned to take up drought relief works on a war footing, the chief minister said.

Mr Kumaraswamy charged the previous Congress government with having failed to take any measure to find a permanent solution to the flood-prone villages in five districts of northern Karnataka.

But, the coalition government had identified land for shifting those villages. While the previous government had approved Rs 228.38 crore during 2004-05 for flood relief, the present government had earmarked over Rs 500 crore, of which Rs 234.44 crore had been released, he added.

He announced that the government would bring in a new legislation for the implementation of the Nanjundappa Committee report and give it statutory status.

Taking a dig at the previous Congress-JD(S) government, the chief minister said his government had no belief in announcing packages. ''Our government will certainly lay emphasis on the development of the entire State without discriminating between north and south Karnataka. Our aim is to see that regional imbalance is a thing of the past and all the regions are developed uniformly.'' MORE UNI MV GD PDM RK2105