20 cr. more for drought relief work

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, SEPT. 4. The Revenue Minister, Mr. H. C. Srikantiah, said today that the Government would release an additional instalment of Rs. 20 crores in four days to augment relief programmes, such as those taken up in the drought-hit districts.

Addressing presspersons here, he said the deputy commissioners had been directed to spend as much money as possible on providing safe drinking water and digging borewells where necessary, based on the demand.

Responding to a comment that Rs. 58 crores out of Rs. 70 crores spent on relief work had come from the Union Government, Mr. Srikantaiah said the Centre had not provided any additional grant. The money had been set aside as per the recommendations of the 11th Finance Commission, and was the State's share. All that the Centre had done was to release the money a few months in advance, he added.

Although the Centre had promised a delegation comprising the Chief Minister and others, which met the Prime Minister and the Union Finance and Agriculture ministers, to help the State, it had not released funds, he said.

Mr. Srikantiah said programmes such as those for desilting tanks, repairing road and supplying foodgrains under the ``Food for Work'' programme were making rapid progress. Following complaints about the supply of poor quality foodgrains, officials in Shimoga, Hassan and Chikmagalur districts had replaced the inferior grains with quality rice and wheat.

He said the Congress President, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, who would inaugurate the sugar factory at Jamakhandi on September 10, would visit some of the drought-hit areas.

Committees had been constituted at district and taluk levels to oversee relief work, he said and added villagers had been given money and foodgrains. He denied that the Government had failed to ensure supply of free foodgrains to the drought-hit people.

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Section  : Southern States
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