JOIN US'Compensate rain victims quickly'
Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa said the Central government has categorically stated that Karnataka state is one of the states that has huge drought in the country.
Speaking at a review meet of the district-level officers at Zilla Panchayat, the Deputy CM called upon officials to take swift actions to compensate the damages incurred owing to heavy rain and flood.
District-in-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said a loss of Rs 29 crore has incurred in the district due to rain related calamities, of which Rs 12 crore has to be given as compensation to the victims immediately.
Deputy Commissioner Dr M T Reju said the district has received 1270 mm rainfall till August in contrast to 1045 mm rainfall in the entire rainy season last year.
Of the total Rs 28.95 crore worth damages owing to heavy rains and floods, Rs 12 lakh has been given as compensation to the kin of eight people who lost lives owing to rain havoc.
About 26 people including eight have lost lives in this monsoon season owing to various rain related disasters.
Of the remaining 18 deaths, around 14 are due to rain calamity and rest four are under agriculture related causalities.
The amount estimated against the damage caused due to 2450 meters sea erosions amounts to Rs 4.69 lakh. As many as 72.51 kms of PWD roads have been damaged and loss is estimated at Rs Rs 283 lakh.
A sum of Rs 110 lakh loss has been incurred to Panchayath roads and loss estimated against the damage of national highway stretch is Rs 30 lakh, he added.
The Deputy CM directed the DC and other officials to settle down the compensation packages to all other 14 victims immediately and also for the remaining four that are agriculture casualties.
Udupi-Chikmagalur MP Jayaprakash Hegde raised the issue of children’s deaths due to falling into percolation ponds. The DC said that measures are taken to fence the ponds besides hoardings indicating the existence of ponds have been pit adjacent to the ponds.
There was also discussion over compensation packages not given to cattle shed damages under natural calamity relief funds as it has not been mentioned in the guidelines issued by the Centre.
` 34 cr to MVS
ZP Chief Executive Officer Prabhakar Sharma said that water supply schemes worth Rs 34 crore have been taken up in the district.
Multi-village drinking water schemes (MVS) have been taken up at Nitte and Hebri. Two more projects have been approved in Nada and Senapur in Byndoor region. About 27 additional proposals have been sent, however these proposals are neither rejected nor approved by the Centre. It has been kept pending, he added.
The MP said that there is no shortage of funds to drinking water schemes in Centre, however the State government should send the proposal. The major obstacle in approving the 27 MVS proposals is that there is no mentioning of salinity as the criterion under the scheme, he said.
Eshwarappa said that he along with three MPs of coastal districts will hold talks with the Central government shortly to relax some of the guidelines. He also directed officials to come to Bangalore on Monday to discuss the issues concerning sea erosion problems, CRZ norms and also MVS.
There was debate over “Kumkhi” rights and also deemed forest land. It is said that there are many confusions concerning both the issues. The land segregated as deemed forest is barred from any claims over rights.
The DC said following the SC order for 30 per cent land earmarked under deemed forest, the affidavit comprising the details sent mentions the land that are not actually forest area. It was a mistake done during 2005 following the Supreme Court order. He said there is need to submit revised affidavit in the SC pleading to replace originally mentioned land with the actual forest area as deemed forest.
Karkala MLA Gopal Bhandari said that the compulsory 30 per cent of deemed forest land is a national average and not district or village average. “We have already 27 per cent of deemed forest in the district,” he added.
Survey for Kumki land
Eshwarappa said that immediate measures should be taken to conduct survey segregating Kumki and deemed forest land in the district. He assured additional funds and also staffs. He said deliberation will be done over submitting revised petition to the SC.
MP said the fund under MP scheme is left unutilised. There is a need to send separate estimation along with utilisation certificates for the release of funds. The Deputy Chief Minister asked the Deputy Commissioner to plan the proposal immediately.