'Centre agrees to release 2 lakh tonnes of food grain for Karnataka'

New Delhi, Oct 19 (UNI) Karnataka Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar today called on Home Minister Shivraj Patil to urge him to speed up the release of funds and foodgrains to Karnataka to carryout relief and rehabilitation works in 120 drought affected taluks of the state.

Mr Shettar told newspersons here that Karnataka has sought a release of Rs 1,262 crores and 5.74 lakh tonnes of food grains. "Mr Patil promised us he would immediately speak to Mr Sharad Pawar, his counterpart in the Agriculture Ministry, to release 200,000 tonnes of food grains in the next few days and we are happy about it. We are told that the state can expect the grains in the next couple of days", Mr Shettar said. He was accompanied by area MP Prahlad Joshi.

The state urgently required the food grains, because it had to provide the relief beneficiaries with three kilos of rice or wheat as part of their daily wages of Rs 69 including the cash component of Rs 50.

Mr Shettar also attended a meeting on Kalasa Banduri Nala project which intends to divert 7.56 tmc of water from Mahadai river to Malaprabha reservoir. This water is intended to provide potable water to thirsty Hubli-Dharwad towns and hundreds of villages in north-Karnataka.

"We expect the Centre to help Karnataka in tune with the National Water Policy which accords priority towards compleition of drinking water projects", he said.

As far as Karnataka was concerned, the government had sanctioned Rs 100 crores of money through budget and take up the project as non-plan expenditure and work would go on as per the governmental schedule. The work got stopped because the government had kept its clearance 'pending' for four long years resulting in the cost escallation.

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