K'taka Govt releases Rs 494 cr for drought, flood relief works

Bangalore, Mar 7 (UNI) The Karnataka Government has released Rs 494 crore since July last year to take up both drought and flood relief works, Home Minister M P Prakash said today.

Speaking to newspersons after holding a high-level Cabinet Sub-Committee meeting on the drought situation here, he said the Sub-Committee had reviewed the prevailing drinking water problem and measures taken to combat it. As many as 128 taluks in the State were reeling under drought conditions.

Mr Prakash said the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj department had submitted a proposal for Rs 100 crore to implement 1,306 mini water supply schemes and 1,346 piped water works. As many as 4,463 villages in the State have been identified as suffering from acute drinking water shortage. Over 74 villages were being provided drinking water through tankers. The Urban Development Ministry had sought Rs 36 crore to tackle the drinking water problem in towns and cities.

The State Government had instructed all the Deputy Commissioners to prepare an action plan to tackle the drinking water problem, without waiting for the plan from the taluk level task force. About Rs 246 crore was lying unspent with the Deputy Commissioners which could be utilised to tackle the problem, he said.

Mr Prakash said the State had fallen short in achieving the foodgrain production target of 114 lakh tonnes by recording a production of just 84 lakh tonnes. Oil seeds production was also reported to be 40 per cent less than the previous year.

On drought relief works, he said over 17 cowsheds have been opened to prevent distress sale of cattles, fodder banks set up and inter-state fodder transportation had been barred.

UNI