Kodagu disaster : Siddaramaiah demands PM visit to Kodagu
‘Constitute experts committee’
Madikeri, August 23: Former chief minister and coalition government coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Kodagu as it has incurred heavy loss due to flood, rains and landslides and more than 6000 people were affected and announce the compensation.
After visiting various relief camps here on Thursday, Siddaramaiah said that he came to know about the huge loss due to natural disaster. So, the Prime Minister should visit the district, survey the affected areas and announce the compensation immediately. He would welcome the decision of announcing Rs 500 crore Kerala. In the same manner, let him announce the relief package to Kodagu district, he demanded.
He would advise the state government to constitute an experts committee to assess the loss of properties and lives in the district. He had asked Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to create job opportunities under MNREGS to affected people. He had also advised Housing Minister UT Khader to prepare a programme to ensure temporary and permanent settlement to more than 6000 affected people, he added.
The district administration should take steps to admit the students to hostels immediately. After 1924 and 1964, the district has received this record rains. In Madikeri only, more than 225 inch rainfall was recorded. Because of the continuous rainfall, some villages were disappeared, he said.
Priority should be given to lay roads, power connection, construction of houses, ensuring education to the children, healthcare facility and food grains to all affected people irrespective of APL and BPL beneficiaries, he said.
The Congress MLAs and MPs have decided to give their one month salary to Kodagu and another month’s salary to Kerala flood victims, he said.
The government has been doing well in taking up relief measures. But it should be accelerated further. KPCC has also constituted a relief committee led by Rajya Sabha Member Ramamurthy and the committee would visit the district soon. Later, it would be decided on how to help the district. Already, 50 doctors from KPCC Doctors Cell reached the district and involving in relief works, he said.
Around 600 km rural roads and 150 km PWD roads were damaged in the incident. He was in touch with the Chief Minister and concerned ministers in taking up relief measures in the district. He would also discuss the issue in the Coordination Committee meeting as well, he said.
KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao said that the Relief Committee constituted by the party would collect the donation and contribute to the district. Already, the material collected from the party has reached the district. The party would extend all its support, he said.
KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre, former MP Vijay Shankar, MLC Veena Achaiah, former MLC MC Nanaiah, district Congress president Shivu Madappa, and others were present.
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By-election result not a mandate for the government: Basavaraja Bommai
Bengaluru: The results of the by-elections in three constituencies do not represent a mandate for the state government, said MP Basavaraja Bommai, adding that ruling party MLAs are dissatisfied with the lack of development in the state.
Speaking to the media at the BJP office on Tuesday, he stated that by-elections typically favor the ruling government. "When we were in power, we won 13 out of 17 by-elections. The Congress should not assume that this is a verdict in their favor," he remarked.
Bommai emphasized that these results are confined to the constituencies where the by-elections were held. He also accused the state government of poorly implementing its guarantee schemes without adequate financial preparation, claiming that the schemes are being halted due to financial strain.
He alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's government has borrowed over ₹1 lakh crore, leading to difficulties in financial management. Bommai pointed out that the state government is yet to release over ₹2,000 crore to local bodies, including village panchayats, as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission.
"Anganwadi workers and contract workers are not receiving their salaries, and contractors are refusing to take up work due to non-release of funds, even after tenders have been floated," he added.
Responding to questions about internal dissent within the BJP, Bommai denied any significant issues, stating, "There is no dissent in the BJP. Everyone is committed to the party. There may be differing opinions on some matters, but I am confident that everything will be resolved within a month." He also noted that a motivated BJP team is actively working for the party.
