Treat floods as special case: State Cong to PM
A delegation of the State Congress on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to treat the recent floods in Karnataka as a special case and evolve a package on the lines of the one given to tsunami victims.
The delegation also sought waiver of all loans, including farm loans, loans obtained by weavers and petty businessmen. Singh assured the leaders that the UPA government would take care of the flood-affected people and would extend the maximum help possible.
He also said that the government would take further action on the issue once the Central team, which visited the affected areas, submitted its report.
Noting that over 2 crore people and 4,300 villages were affected, the delegation said 25 lakh agricultural land would take 2-3 years to be fit for cultivation again. As over 6 lakh houses had collapsed in the floods, the team wanted at least 2 lakh houses under Indira Awas Yojna.
A comprehensive plan of action with the theme ‘Reconstruct the village and reconstruct rural economy’ was the need of the hour. Over 300 villages needed to be relocated, they said. The team also called for revising the existing norms for under the Calamity Relief Fund as the present quantum of relief was woefully lacking and impractical.
Asked about the relief work by the state government, KPCC president R V Deshpande, Opposition leaders in Assembly and Council, Siddaramaiah and Ugrappa, respectively, and senior leader H K Patil told reporters that the relief work had come to a standstill. “There are no ministers around, the MLAs are in resorts and 5-star hotels and the people are suffering. The Congress workers are visiting the flood-hit areas and are working on the spot meeting the needs of those affected,” Deshpande said.
Asked why the Congress did not join chief minister B S Yeddyurappa when he met the PM on flood relief, Deshpande said it was not an all-party team and only leaders of the Opposition in the legislature were invited.
At a meeting on the issue held earlier, it was agreed to use the Rs 1,000 cr announced by the PM before meeting him again. Those who were part of the delegation included S M Krishna, M Veerappa Moily, Mallikarjun Kharge, K H Muniyappa, Rahman Khan, Oscar Fernandes, MPs H Vishwanath and Dhruvanarayan.
