Nirmala to take stock of flood situation in State: CM

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said only God can save Karnataka in taking up floods relief work as the previous coalition government has brought State treasury to a precarious condition and added that the State government will urge the Union government to provide maximum relief funds owing to financial condition of the State.

“We have to utilise the limited funds judiciously for the relief work,” he said while speaking to media persons at Hubballi airport here on Friday.

Understanding the gravity of the situation Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman herself would be conducting a two-day aerial inspection of flood affected areas of North Karnataka.

“On August 10 she would visit flood affected areas of Belagavi and Bagalkot, and on August 11, she would visit Uttara Kannada district,” he said.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have taken note of grim situation of floods in Karnataka seriously and have assured of all help.

Yediyurappa said it was too early for the State government to estimate the total loss due to rain in the 15 districts of Karnataka. It would take another 4-6 days for the State government to estimate the total loss in State.

He said like in 2009, when collected more than Rs 1000 crore for flood relief work from citizens, industrialists, religious institutes, he would do the same this time too. He asked people to donate generously for the cause.

He said in another 2-3 days he would be visiting New Delhi again to seek additional funds and to get permission for cabinet expansion.

A furious Yediyurappa rebutted journalists, when asked ‘a one-man State cabinet’ is not able to address the flood situation in State. “I had been to Delhi to get permission to expand the cabinet. Death of former Union minister Sushma Swaraj and intensifying of floods in State forced me to come back,” he said and added that cabinet would be expanded soon.

He said without any exception all the MLAs and MPs of BJP are visiting the flood affected areas of State.

Police action

Chief Minister said he was not aware of the police excess in Gadag on flood victims, and said strict action would be taken against the police personnel if they are found guilty of latti charging the victims.