Release Rs 2,000 cr immediately for flood relief: Karnataka
New Delhi, Sep 10: Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday urged the Centre to immediately release Rs 2,000 crore for undertaking flood and other relief work in the state.
The demand made by a state delegation led by Kumaraswamy to Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes in the backdrop of losses of approximate Rs 12,000 crore due to floods in parts of Karnataka in August and drought in other parts.
The delegation met Modi here on Monday and apprised him about the loss of human life, agriculture and infrastructure by torrential rains.
"We told him (Modi) that the flood loss is to the tune of Rs 3,705 crore," Kumaraswamy told reporters after the meeting.
"Also, the state has been witnessing severe drought conditions during the last 13 of the 17 years. As per preliminary estimates, more than 15 lakh hectares of agricultural and horticultural crops have been affected, with a loss of around Rs 8,000 crore."
Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, Revenue Minister R.V. Deshpande and Irrigation Minister D.K. Shivakumar were part of the delegation.
Kumaraswamy told Modi that over half the state's area was facing drought situation this year due to weak monsoon while uneven distribution of rain was recorded over the north and south interior Karnataka.
Deshpande said that crop on 23,123 hectares was affected due to floods, leading to losses totalling Rs 1,242 crore.
"There has been a dry spell in September and if it continues there will be 50 per cent crop loss. As many as 67 people have lost lives in the floods," Deshpande said, adding Modi promised immediate financial assistance.
"We look forward to the central government for liberal assistance."
He said the rainfall in coffee-producing Kodagu district was the highest in 118 years, which not only damaged crop but infrastructure as well and rendered scores homeless.
According to the Karnataka government's assessment, the damage to infrastructure was pegged at Rs 1,789 crore. Last month, Kumaraswamy met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and sought special central package of Rs 2,000 crore.
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3rd T20I: A three-match 'audition' starts for Gill to find his game back
Dharamsala (PTI): The countdown to save his place in the playing XI begins for a beleaguered Shubman Gill, who is likely to get three matches against South Africa to prove his worth before the Indian team management switches to a ‘Plan B’ ahead of the T20 World Cup, starting in six weeks.
As India gear up to play the third T20I against the Proteas on Sunday in sub-10-degree temperatures in the lap of the ice-clad Dhauladhar range, things are suddenly heating up in the Indian dressing room, with the prolonged poor form of skipper Suryakumar Yadav coming under the scanner.
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Worse, his deputy Shubman Gill, who was pushed into the XI at the expense of a settled Sanju Samson, is not inspiring much confidence.
The South African pace attack featuring Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Ottniel Baartman and Lutho Sipamla — has shown how to bowl on Indian tracks, and the HPCA Stadium strip, offering extra bounce and some movement off the surface, will certainly keep them interested.
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Among all T20 sides, South Africa, in terms of personnel, appears to have the requisite balance to win the trophy in the Indian subcontinent this time. Quinton de Kock’s return, along with the likes of Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Donovan Ferreira, David Miller and all-rounder Jansen, gives their batting an intimidating look.
With only eight games, starting from the third T20I, left before the start of the T20 World Cup title defence, India's under-fire head coach Gautam Gambhir won't be able to afford, two out-of-form top-order batters in the starting line-up.
Being the skipper of the side, Surya will certainly have immunity going into the T20 World Cup despite being completely out of form for the past one year but same can't be said about Gill, who wasn't the original choice as an opener.
Gill's entry into the T20 set-up was a classic case of trying to fix something that ain't broken and things haven't looked good so far.
In this backdrop, Gill would need to bat out of his skin to prove that Ajit Agarkar-led committee wasn't wrong in throwing Samson under the bus for one bad series against England.
The stylish Indian Test and ODI skipper will have to find his T20 game and at least score in two of the three matches if he doesn't want Samson to get his rightful place back or for that matter, find Yashasvi Jaiswal, with a fabulous T20I strike-rate of 165, enter the fray during New Zealand series.
Lack of clarity
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While head coach Gambhir is too proud a person to admit but sending Axar Patel as a one drop batter during the second T20I was a "tactical brain fade" from the team's think-tank.
The kind misstep that was taken with Axar's promotion is unlikely to be repeated in the third game where skipper is expected to go back to No.3 where he has got a lot of success in his first few years at the international level.
Similarly, Shivam Dube being sent at number eight due to the shuffling of batting order was another poor call which would need course correction in the next game.
Is there a place for Kuldeep Yadav?
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Kuldeep Yadav is one bowler who has consistently troubled the Proteas batter but in an Indian team where batting till No. 8 is non-negotiable, the left-arm wrist spinner often finds himself getting the rough end of the stick.
At Dharamsala too, he might have to sit out as Kuldeep and Varun Chakravarthy, two non-batters can't be clubbed in the same T20 playing eleven as that would lead to compromise in batting depth.
While Arshdeep hasn't had a good series so far, it will be interesting to find if team management can find a place for Kuldeep in the playing eleven with Hardik Pandya sharing the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah.
The five-match series is currently tied 1-1.
Teams:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, NT Tilak Verma, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Lutho Sipamla, Ottniel Baartman, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, George Linde.
Match Starts at 7 pm.
