Rs 100 cr compensation to Kodagu in first phase: CM
Madikeri, July 19: Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy declared Rs 100 crore financial assistance to Kodagu district in the first phase to take up flood relief measures as the district incurred loss worth over Rs 329 crore in the rains in the last one month.
Holding review meeting on rain damage and progress of various programmes in the district at the DC office here on Thursday, he told media persons that the government has never neglected Kodagu district. The state government was committed for the development of the entire state. He would release Rs 100 crore to take up relief works in the district, he said.
Till now, the owners would have got just Rs 5000 compensation if their houses were damaged. But now, the compensation was increased to Rs 95,000 if the house is completely damaged and one Ashraya house would be given. Free paddy seeds would also be distributed to the farmers who lost their paddy crop. Already, the PWD Minister had directed the officials to prepare an action plan to repair the damaged PWD roads in the state and call for the tender within 15 days, he said.
The PWD department has incurred a loss of Rs 139 crore due to damage of its properties. In the first phase, there was a demand for Rs 12 crore and the zilla panchayat has placed demand for Rs 48 crore. So, total Rs 329 crore worth properties were damaged in the district and the government would respond to it positively, he promised.
More than 2000 electric poles were also damaged in the district. Additional staff would be deputed from Hassan and Mysuru districts to Kodagu in order to restore the power supply as early as possible. “As the district has suffered a lot in this rainy season, I have personally come here to have first hand information. Shortly, I would convene a special meeting of the MLAs and officials of the district to find permanent solutions to the problems. Steps would also be taken to fill the vacant posts in various departments”, he said.
MLA KG Bopaiah urged the Chief Minister to release the funds as early as possible.
Later, the Chief Minister received memorandums from the associations and general public on the occasion.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
