PM to consider Cong demand for Tsunami-like package for Karnataka

New Delhi, Nov 4 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today assured Congress leaders from Karnataka that the Government would render all assistance, including Tsunami type of package for the state, to help victims of last month's devastating floods in Krishna basin districts of the state.

Responding to a large delegation of about 40 members consisting of Union Ministers from state M Veerappa Moily, M Mallikarjuna Kharge and K H Muniyappa and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Chief R V Deshpande and Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, the PM said he would make the announcement after receiving report of the Central team, which had surveyed the affected region.

The PM was convinced about the levels of destruction and we are sure people of the state would get helped, Mr Siddaramaiah told reporters.

Dr Singh himself had seen the intensity of the disaster during his aerial survey and the Congress leaders had apprised the PM about the seriousness of the trail of disaster left by the floods, he said.

Crops in 25 lakh hectares were washed away and about 6.5 lakh families were rendered homeless because of the house collapse.

Thousands of acres of arable land had become unfit for cultivation because of sand deposits, he added.

Mr Siddaramaiah said the leaders also impressed on the PM that the Government would have to think of making good the crop losses to the farmers be it compensation package from the Government or providing them with free seeds, fertilisers and fresh doses of crop loans to start farming afresh.

The artisans also required houses, which could be provided under the Indira Awas Yojana, he added.

The Congress which had absented itself from the official all party delegation of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa last month had announced that it would take a delegation on its own to highlight the cause of the flood victims.

The Government has announced Rs 1000 crore assistance for the flood victims besides allowing the state to take up programmes under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme with a similar amount of additional assistance.

Asked if the Congress leaders had raised the issue of political infighting in the ruling BJP, Mr Siddaramaiah replied ''This delegation was basically to highlight the problems faced by the people of flood affected region and we have not discussed political matters''.

The delegation included Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council V S Ugrappa and KPCC Working President D K Shiva Kumar.

Yesterday, the delegation had met Home Minister P Chidambaram and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. They were also expected to meet Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee later in the day. In yesterday's delegation External Affairs Minister S M Krishna was also part of the delegation.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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