Cong demands Rs 10 lakh for each house collapsed due to floods in Karnataka

Bengaluru, Aug 24: The Opposition Congress today demanded the BJP Government in Karnataka to announce adequate relief package to those who were displaced in the recent floods and rains, including Rs 10 lakh compensation towards each of the collapsed house. In a joint press conference here former Ministers M B Patil, Satish Jarakiholi and two Congress MLAs Ganesh Hukkeri and Ananda Nyamagouda, who toured the flood ravaged districts of Belagavi, Bagalkote and Vijayapura, described that the extent of damage suffered by the people of the region was “huge and unprecedented”.

Underlining that lakhs of people had lost their homes and livelihood, the Congress leaders demanded the Union government to declare the recent floods in Karnataka as a 'National Calamity' and take up the relief works on war footing. Stating that in the recent floods, lakhs of people living on the banks of river Krishna, Malaprabha, Ghataprabha, Markandeya have lost everything, including their houses, household things, cattle and their agricultural land, the Congress leaders, had urged the State government to announce relief package, which would be enough to rebuild their economic condition.

Referring to Chief Minister Yediyurappa’s announcement to release Rs 5 lakh to those who had lost their Houses, Patil said that “It should be enhanced to Rs 10 lakh per house”. He urged the state government to release Rs one lakh per farmer towards crop loss and reclaim the land was washed away in the flood waters. He said that the Opposition Congress is ready to extend all co-operation to the state government in helping the flood victims.

The leaders also urged the state government to convene a one-week special Assembly Session to discuss the situation in the flood-ravaged districts and find solutions in overcoming the problems in providing relief to the victims. Patil suggested to the Chief Minister to take an all-party delegation to the Union government to seek more funds towards rehabilitation of the displaced people of the flood-hit areas in the State.