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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Three company directors held in Rs 100-crore investment fraud in Kochi
Kochi (Kerala) (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested three directors of a firm accused of cheating hundreds of investors of over Rs 100 crore through a fake investment scheme linked to agricultural tourism here, officials said.
The accused were identified as Muraleedharan, Ashik Murali and Akhil Murali, all natives of Thrissur.
The arrests were made by the Kalamassery police in connection with a fraud involving ATCOS (Agri Tourism Cooperative Society), a firm headquartered at Pathadipalam here.
Police said the company had promised high returns by collecting investments from the public in the agricultural tourism sector, but allegedly cheated hundreds of people and fled with the money.
ATCOS was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act and operated 13 branches across various districts in Kerala, besides a branch in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, officials said.
When investors failed to receive their promised returns or the invested amount, complaints were filed with the police.
Officials said around 54 cases have been registered against the firm in 32 police stations across the state, including 29 cases at the Kalamassery police station alone.
Following instructions from Kochi City Police Commissioner K S Mahesh Kumar, a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shehensha and Thrikkakara ACP Manoj Kumar.
The team traced the accused to an apartment in Amala Nagar in Thrissur, where they had been hiding after secretly renting the flat, officials said.
The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen, and steps have been initiated to trace their assets, officials said.
Police also conducted a raid at the company’s office at Pathadipalam and seized several documents related to the case.
The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kalamassery, which remanded them to judicial custody and sent them to Kakkanad jail.
Police said they would seek the custody of the accused for further interrogation as the investigation continues.
