'State did not submit proposal for permanent solution to sea erosion'

CM and ministers are misguiding citizens

Salian, who is leading a rain damage assessment team appointed by the KPCC for Dakshina Kannada district, told reporters here on Tuesday that the State government’s promise of submitting a proposal of Rs 284 crore to check sea erosion problem to the centre has not been materialised so far. “Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and his cabinet colleagues are misguiding citizens by giving empty promises,” he charged.

He recalled that S M Krishna during his tenure as the State Chief Minister had submitted a proposal of Rs 136 crore for the implementation of sea erosion prevention measures to the then NDA government. However, the same proposal was not at all considered by the NDA government then, he added.

Rs 80 cr damage

Salian said that therain damage of Rs 39.18 crore assessed by the District Administration is incomplete and the actual damage will cross Rs 80 crore. He said that the KPCC rain damage assessment team which includes former minister T John and former MLA Karianna has collected data regarding the rain damages in 5 taluks in the district through Block Congress Committees.

While loss due to sea erosion has been estimated at Rs 20 crore, the loss incurred through damage of roads has been put at Rs 30 crore, Salian said. Similarly, the loss due to crop damage and other natural calamities have been estimated at Rs 30 crore. The team will submit its report to the opposition leader of the Legislative Assembly and to the KPCC before July 30, he said adding that the matter will be raised in the Assembly meet by the opposition.

Empty promises by CM

Team member Karianna said that Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa was lying with regard to the payment of compensation to rain damage victims. “Government is paying Rs 10,000 per coconut tree while acquiring land for industrial purpose. However, farmers were paid only Rs 100 as compensation when their coconut tree was damaged due to rain,” he said and urged that the compensation package should be revised scientifically.

Karianna said that officials did not include most of the partially damaged houses in the damage assessment list. Poor people who built houses on government land were completely ignored by the officials, he added.

He said that the Congress will hold protest in front of Deputy Commissioner’s office and each taluk offices, if compensation were not paid properly.

KPCC had formed 10 separate teams to assess the rain damages in 10 districts of the State. Team member T John was present.