Congress charges Karnataka govt. of improper handling of calamity

DCC president K. Harish Kumar says the government failed to take any precautionary measure despite clear warning from the weather department

Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee on Tuesday, accused the State government of improper and unscientific handling of the natural calamity which the region has gone through so far.

Speaking to reporters here, DCC president and MLC K. Harish Kumar said the government failed to take any precautionary measure despite clear warning from the weather department even as it has failed to substantiate earlier claims made for Central government compensation towards natural calamity in the previous years.

Mr. Kumar said that the Central government did not respond properly to loss and damage due to natural calamities in the last three years. The double engine government with 25 MPs was of no use to the State, he regretted.

The MLC pointed out that though the State had suffered over ₹8,000 crore loss in the last three years, the Centre had released just ₹3,965 crore relief. One could imagine the quality and quantity of work executed by the State government after deducting ‘40%,’ he said.

This monsoon too, rain has wreaked havoc across the district damaging crops in over 185 hectares of land and damaging 12 hectares of areca plantation. Officially, five people have lost life. Buildings of anganwadis, schools and other institutions were damaged. Sea erosion too has intensified.

Yet, the district in-charge minister did not visit affected areas and respond to people under distress. He did not call all-party meeting before the onset of Monsoon to take precautionary measures.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly U.T. Khader said Chief Minister’s visit to Dakshina Kannada and Udupi on Tuesday and Wednesday exposes the failure of district in-charge ministers in handling the calamities.