Karnataka seeks Rs 500 cr Central assistance for flood relief

Bangalore, Aug 10 (UNI) The Karnataka Government has sought Rs 500 crore from the Centre to take up relief works in the flood-hit areas of the state where the deluge has claimed 242 lives since April, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said today.

The rain havoc had led to an estimated loss of Rs 4,000 crore with a death toll of 32 during last one week. The vigorous South-West Monsoon caused heavy damage to public and private properties and standing crops in thousands of acres in the state, he added.

Talking to newspersons here, Mr Kumaraswamy said he would be appealing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for immediate release of Rs 500 crore to take up relief works on a war footing.

He said an aerial survey of the districts of Uttara Kannada, Belgaum, Shimoga, Davanagere, Raichur and Bagalkot would be done tomorrow to take stock of the situation.

The government had set up 136 relief centres in the affected areas. It had decided to distribute Rs 2,000 per family from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for food grains and clothing.

He said about nine lakh people in at least 1,142 villages were affected and standing crops in 84,000 hectares estimated at Rs 3,000 crore perished due to floods. The most affected crops were sugar cane, jowar, maize and paddy.

UNI