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Performing bhoomi pooja for relocating 25 flood-affected villages at Shirabadgi in Badami taluk of the district under the ‘Asare’ programme, Chidambaram said the Centre was closely monitoring the situation. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC Chairperson Sonia Gandhi toured the entire flood-affected areas of North Karnataka. "We are deeply moved by the tragedy that has uprooted lives of thousands of people. We will extend all possible help to tide over the situation," he promised.
Patting Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa for swinging into action quickly to rescue and to give relief to the affected people, he said after rescue and relief operations, the most difficult task was reconstruction. It was a long-drawn programme that required co-operation of all sections of society, government agencies, NGOs, business community and individuals.
Thanking mutts, corporate sector and individual philanthropists for extending their helping hand in rehabilitating the calamity-affected people, he said: "With their generous donation we can develop new townships with all basic amenities and better infrastructure facilities. The natural calamity has also brought an opportunity to reconstruct new Karnataka, new India," he added.
Speaking after inaugurating the function, Yeddyurappa thanked the Central government for supporting the State in rescue and relief operations.
"The floods wreaked havoc on life and properties. Crops worth crores of rupees have been damaged. Roads and bridges have been washed away. We have a Herculean task before us to reconstruct all these. I have a confidence that we will accomplish this task effectively. We thank the people and corporate sector for donating generously. We must also thank all political parties for their cooperation in this difficult period," the Chief Minister said.
He also appealed to the Central government to provide Rs 6,665 crore assistance under the Natural Calamity Relief Fund, waiver of agriculture loans in the flood-hit areas and double the crop compensation.
He also appealed to the Centre to sanction two lakh houses under the Indira Awas scheme and Rs 2,000 crore special assistance for rehabilitation of the flood-hit people.
Badami MLA M K Pattanshetty presided over the function. Ministers Govind Karjol, Arvind Limbavali, Murugesh Nirani, KPCC president R V Deshpande, MP P C Gaddigoudar, Siddu Savadi, Siddu Nyamagouda, representatives from the corporate sectors Rajiv Chandrashekhar, Raju Munda and others were present on the occasion.