JDS patriarch Deve Gowda to campaign for party at 42 places in next 11 days
Bengaluru (PTI): Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H D Deve Gowda on Thursday said he will campaign for his party at 42 places in the next 11 days in the run-up to the Assembly elections in Karnataka.
The 89-year-old said he will take rest once in a week keeping in view his health condition.
"Starting from tomorrow I will campaign till May 8 at 42 places. This is a tentative programme. I will take rest once in a week keeping health conditions in mind because I have to take an injection once in a week," Gowda, who will turn 90 on May 18, said in a press conference.
He said the party had fielded 211 candidates of which two withdrew their candidature and the nomination form of two others was rejected. So, 207 JD(S) candidates are in fray.
This apart, the JD (S) has extended its support to three CPI(M) and three Republican Party of India candidates.
Elections to the 224-member Assembly would take place on May 10, and the results would be declared on May 13.
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298 persons killed in Wayanad landslides: Govt tells Parliament
New Delhi (PTI): A total of 298 people were killed during the landslides that hit Kerala's Wayanad district last year, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said that while the Centre does not maintain a central data of deaths/missing persons due to disasters, including landslides, the Kerala government informed it that the total number of deaths due to the landslide in Wayanad was 298.
Out of these, 32 missing persons have been declared as deceased, the minister told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.
Asked about the compensation provided by the Centre to the state, Rai said that based on a report of the inter-ministerial central team (IMCT), the central government approved an amount of Rs 153.47 crore, subject to the adjustment of 50 per cent of balance available in the state disaster response fund account, for the landslides, flash flood of 2024.
The amount also includes assistance for the air bills for utilising the services of the Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters for rescue and relief, as per actual, and actual expenditure for the clearance of debris, he said.
Besides, an amount of Rs 388 crore (Rs 291.20 crore central share plus Rs 96.80 crore state share) has been allocated to the Government of Kerala for the financial year 2024-25 in SDRF, he said.
The instalment of Rs 145.60 crore of the central share was released on July 31, 2024.
The second instalment of Rs 145.60 crore of the central share was also released on October 1, 2024 in advance to the state, the minister said.
He added that the Kerala Accountant General reported a balance of Rs 394.99 crore in its SDRF account as on April 1, 2024.
Thus, "sufficient fund" is available in the SDRF account of the state for relief operations, he said.
Rai said Kerala conducted a Post Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA) estimating a total requirement of Rs 2,219 crore for recovery and reconstruction plan.
The landslides destroyed large tracts of three Wayanad villages--Punchirimattom, Chooralmala and Mundakkai--apart from some in Attamala when the disaster struck on July 30 last year.
