Date:17/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/17/stories/2006091702050300.htm

Karnataka - Bijapur

Provide separate relief packages, Government told

Staff Correspondent

Samiti alleges diversion of funds

Samiti says funds were used for road works in Bijapur city
`Power supply in many flood-affected villages has not been restored'

Need for constituting monitoring committee to regulate water storage stressed

BIJAPUR: President of the Bhima Neeru Rakshana Raithavarga Samiti Panchappa Kalburgi on Friday urged the State Government to release funds to the district administration in two separate packages, one for flood and the other for drought relief to avoid misuse of funds. Addressing a press conference here, he recalled the experience of farmers along the Krishna and the Bhima who lost crores of rupees worth of crops in floods the previous year. The Government released Rs. 34 crore to the district administration under natural calamity relief.

However, only Rs. 4 crore was given for crop loss compensation and for some infrastructure work in flood-affected area. The rest of the money was diverted to take up road works in Bijapur city and elsewhere in the district, he claimed.

The administration defended the decision stating that roads were repaired as they were damaged in the rain. Referring to the Rs. 250 crore release by the Centre, he said the State must allocate the same to the district administration.

Power supply in many flood-affected villages had not been restored. In Bijapur district, the HESCOM was not in a position to complete repair works as the district administration had released Rs. 3 lakh while in Bagalkot district, the authorities had released Rs. 15 lakh to the department. Stating that the unscientific management of reservoirs by Maharashtra had caused floods in the State, Mr. Kalburgi said the samiti would submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard.

The upper riparian Maharashtra had constructed many reservoirs without obtaining permission from the authorities concerned.

There had been guidelines set by Central Water Commission that the reservoirs in the heavy rainfall zones should not be filled to more than fifty per cent of their optimum capacity till mid August.

However, Maharashtra filled all its major and minor reservoirs in the heavy rainfall zone of Western Ghats by July.

Monitoring committee

The Centre should constitute a monitoring committee to regulate water storage and release. He said if the Centre failed to respond to the request the samiti would file a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court. Samiti member Ravi Khanapur was present.