E-Paper
Congress alleges bias in disbursing rain relief in Kalyana Karnataka region
According to data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre (KSNDMC), the state has received 26% additional rain since the beginning of the southwest monsoon from June 1 to August 8.
The Congress on Tuesday alleged that the BJP-led state government has sidelined the suffering of people in the Kalyana Karnataka, one of the most backward regions in the country, as heavy rains continue to pound several parts of the state.
“Has Kalyana Karnataka region been wiped off the map of Karnataka by the BJP Govt? The region too has received heavy rain and farmers have lost their crops, heavy damage to roads & infra, yet we don’t get a single rupee. The BJP MLAs of the region remain mute spectators to this neglect,” Priyank Kharge, Congress legislator from Chittapur said in a Twitter post.
The statement comes at a time when several parts of Karnataka continue to receive heavy rain, adding to the hardships of the population who hit hard due to the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns, fall in prices of agricultural produce, lack of government support and heavy downpour that has damaged over 20,000 hectares of agriculture and horticulture crops in recent weeks.
According to data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre (KSNDMC), the state has received 26% additional rain since the beginning of the southwest monsoon from June 1 to August 8 at 676 mm as against the normal of 537 mm. The seven districts of the region have received considerably high amounts of rain, data showed.
Ballari has received 270 mm rain against the normal of 158 mm from 1 June to August 8 while Raichur has received 317 mm as against the normal of 206mm. Yadgir, Kalaburagi, Bidar, Vijayanagara and Koppala have also received additional rains in the range of 34-54%, data showed.
Kharge said only three districts -- Koppala, Vijayanagara and Ballari -- have got some allocations of funds while the remaining districts have been forgotten.
Ballari and Vijayanagara have received ₹5 crore each, while Koppala has received ₹ 10 crore, according to funds allocation details in the government order on July 8.
R Ashoka, Karnataka’s minister for revenue department, said: “On July 8, we gave 26 districts ₹55 crore. On August 4, we gave ₹300 crore only for homes that were damaged under Rajiv Gandhi Housing through the revenue department. On August 6, we gave 21 districts a total of ₹200 crore. Whichever district got low allocations were given more,”
He said there was ₹857 crore fund with all district collectors and there was no dearth of money for relief.
Kharge said money given has been for water-logged homes and not for damaged homes. “Only ₹10,000 for water logged houses. Not a rupee for damaged houses. He claims there is money with DC, but they can’t use it,” Kharge said.
