Government released no funds for flood and drought relief:Cong

Bangalore, Sep 19 (UNI) The State Government has not undertaken any relief work for both flood and drought-affected taluks in the state, Opposition leader in the Karnataka Legislative Council V S Ugrappa alleged today.

Speaking to newspersons here, Mr Ugrappa charged that the state government has not released any money to take up drought or flood- affected areas and lied to the people by claiming that it has already released Rs 150 crore for the same.

''I have visited most of the 84 draught-hit taluks and interacted with the affected people and no money was granted to take up relief works'' he said.

Challenging the state govenrment to prove its claim for having released the money, Mr Ugrappa alleged that whatever grants it has released had gone only to those seven assembly seats where by-elections will be held shortly.

Referring to attacks on churches, Mr Ugrappa described it as 'state-sponsored' violence and accused that it was done to enlarge the vote-base of BJP in Karnataka.

Countering the claim of the Chief Minister that the attack on churches was a part of a 'conspiracy of Opposition parties to tarnish the image of the BJP government'' he demanded a judicial probe by a sitting judge to know the truth.

UNI MV SKB DB SY ND1846