Sharing stage with PM, Yediyurappa reminds him K’taka hasn’t got enough flood relief

“I have requested three-four times, but until now not much funds have been sanctioned,” the Karnataka Chief Minister said.
Sharing stage with PM, Yediyurappa reminds him K’taka hasn’t got enough flood relief
Sharing stage with PM, Yediyurappa reminds him K’taka hasn’t got enough flood relief

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa surprised a few people in his party on Thursday when he raised the issue of flood relief for Karnataka during a speech, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seated on state. The Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and several Union Minister and state leaders of the BJP were in Tumakuru for a farmer-targeted programme, to give out Krishi Karman awards to farmers in the district.

Speaking at the event, Yediyurappa raised several issues of farmers, including Minimum Support Price, completion of irrigation schemes etc, requesting the Prime Minister to look into them. However, he went on to mention that when it came to flood relief fund, Karnataka had not got its due. “I appeal to the Prime Minister to give a special grant of Rs 50,000 crore for Karnataka,” Yediyurappa said referring to the recent floods in the state, to massive cheers from the crowd. “The floods were unlike anything seen in 115 years and affected around 600-700 villages and 3 lakh houses were damaged, roads and bridges were completely destroyed,” he added. 

“The losses suffered were more than Rs 30,000 crore and I have brought this to the Prime Minister's notice and I have requested about this three-four times. But, until now, not much funds have been sanctioned. I request the Prime Minister with folded hands to release the funds,” the Chief Minister said. The speech by Yediyurappa came shortly after he praised the farmers of the state who were one of the prime targets of the rally.

The Prime Minister is on a two-day visit to Karnataka. He visited the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru and inaugurated the Indian Science Congress in Bengaluru. The rally in Tumakuru had started after PM Modi paid his tribute to the late Vishwesha Teertha Swamiji of the Pejawara Mutt.

Following the devastating floods which killed more than 80 people and affected 22 out of the 30 districts of Karnataka, the CM had visited Delhi more than once to seek central relief.

In one of the memos submitted in mid-August, the CM had sought funds of Rs 40,000 crore. A meeting was held, chaired by the PM himself along with the CM, the state Chief Secretary and Union Ministers from the state, Suresh Angadi and Prahlad Joshi. Subsequently, Yediyurappa had also asked for Rs 8,790 crore as interim relief.

But in October, the state government had received a sum of Rs 1,200 crore as interim relief which was deemed too little. A section of opposition leaders in the state had even said out of the Rs 1,200 crore, Rs 303 crore were part of State Disaster Relief Fund’s yearly allocation.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The News Minute
www.thenewsminute.com