Karnataka to seek special grants from Centre for rain havoc in Bengaluru: CM Bommai
Bengaluru, Sep 7: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said his government will seek special grants from the Union government as compensation for the damages caused in rain-battered Bengaluru.
He held a meeting with the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) headed by Home Ministry's joint secretary Ashish Kumar, which is visiting Karnataka to take stock of the flood havoc in the State.
We have shared details on damages caused during three stages of rainfall - July, August and the first week of September, Bommai said.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said another meeting would be held with the IMCT after it visits various districts, including parts of Bengaluru.
"IMCT will be given a final memorandum then, which will be an updated version of the one we had submitted last week, he added.
Revenue Minister R Ashoka last week said the government has estimated rain related losses since June to the tune of Rs 7,647.13 crore, and will be sending a proposal to the Centre seeking a relief of Rs 1,012.5 crore as per National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms.
Bommai said the new memorandum would highlight problems that Bengaluru faced due to overflowing lakes and flooding in low-lying areas.
We will ask for a special grant. River-based floods happen for 2-3 days and then recede, but this has become a daily occurrence, which must be considered as a special case, he said, noting that he asked the IMCT to visit Mahadevapura, one of the worst rain-hit areas in the city.
Further highlighting the state's need for special grants to compensate fisherfolk who lost their boats, which is not covered under the NDRF guidelines, the CM said, "we will also seek compensation to shops and commercial establishments that have suffered due to floods as they are presently not covered under NDRF.
Also, losses caused due to landslides also deserve a special grant, he said.
The IMCT is scheduled to visit Chitradurga, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Haveri, Dharwad, Gadag, Bidar and Kalaburagi districts.
Bommai said he suggested that they also visit Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts that were worst affected due to rains, landslides and sea erosion, and also to take stock of the flood situation in Mandya and Ramanagara districts.
He also told them that Karnataka has a coastal area of 330 km and works worth Rs 350 crore have been taken up to prevent sea erosion, and central assistance was required as erosion has taken place in new spots.
The CM also explained that Rs 500 crore was released twice to take up restoration of damaged infrastructure, and another Rs 600 crore was released earlier this week.
The state is giving an additional input subsidy for crop loss and Rs 2,452 crore has been disbursed among 18.58 lakh farmers. Out of this, Rs 1,160 crore has been borne from the state exchequer, he added.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
