Compensation for air travellers in case of death, injury, lost baggage hiked

Bengaluru, Aug 7: The Karnataka government would provide Rs 10,000 immediate relief to families affected by heavy rains and flooding in districts across coastal, central and southern areas of the state, an official said on Thursday.

"Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has directed all the Deputy Commissioners in the rain-cum-flood-hit districts to provide Rs 10,000 interim relief to the affected families and Rs 5 lakh to those whose houses were completely damaged in the natural disaster," a Revenue Department official told media persons here.

As the south-west monsoon advanced and intensified, heavy and widespread rains with gusty winds have been lashing 12 of the 30 districts across the state, wreaking havoc and disrupting normal life due to flooding, landslides, lakes and ponds overflowing, and rivers and their tributaries in the spate.

"The Chief Minister also instructed the officials to make use schools, colleges and public places as relief centres to shelter the rain-cum-flood-hit families, as hostels and community halls have been converted into Covid care centres in the affected districts," said the official.

The affected districts have also been advised to conduct a survey of crop loss suffered by farmers for compensation under the centrally-sponsored Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and the Weather Based Crop Insurance Schemes.

Deputy Commissioners have been told to take preventive measures to protect and provide relief to the people from heavy rains, floods and landslides in the affected districts.

"Yediyurappa also directed ministers in-charge of the districts to remain in their constituency and visit the affected areas to assess damage caused by the rains and flash floods for compensation and relief aid," noted the official.

The Chief Minister on Wednesday announced Rs 50 crore for rescue and relief operations in the affected districts across the state.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological department has issued a red alert on heavy rains in the affected districts of Kodagu, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttar Kannada in the coastal region and in Shivamoga, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Haveri in the Malnad region.

"Bagamandala in Kodagu district where Cauvery river springs near Talakaveri received a whopping 486 mm rain during the last 24 hours, causing flash floods and disrupting normal life as offices, shops and eateries remained shut and public transport was affected," added the official.

The water-level in Cauvery and Lakshmanatheertha is flowing at high level while the Sayi layout and Kuvempu layout Kushalnagar is inundated and the affected residents were shifted to safer location.

Bengaluru, Aug 6: Firebrand BJP Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday said that control of state power by Hindus is absolutely essential for sustenance of Dharma.

His comments, in a series of tweets, came on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the Lord Ram temple at Ayodhya.

"Dear Hindus, Most important lesson is that control of State power by Hindus is absolutely essential for sustenance of Dharma. When we didn't control State, we lost our temple. When we regained, we rebuilt. The 282 (seats) in 2014 and 303 (seats) in 2019 to Sri Narendra Modi made today possible!", Surya, who is also the party's BJP youth Wing state general secretary, tweeted.

He also said that the survival of India depends on the survival of Sanatana Dharma.

"The Sanatana Dharma, that is nationalism,' Sri Aurobindo had said in his Uttarapara speech. But what does it mean? Along with Jai Sri Ram, the purohits also chanted Bharat Mata Ki Jai - That is Dharmic nationalism. If Dharma survives, India survives," he said in another tweet.