Karnataka floods: BS Yediyurappa meets PM Modi, pitches for Rs 10,000 crore aid

Bengaluru: Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Friday, has sought Rs 10,000 crore from the Centre to help the state come to the rescue of its flood ravaged districts.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Chief Minister said a detailed report had been submitted to the Prime Minister on the damage caused by the floods in the state. “Properties, livestock and standing crop worth around Rs. 40,000 crore have been damaged. We are confident that the Prime Minister will the release the relief funds soon,” he added.

Senior BJP leader, R. Ashok, who accompanied Mr Yeddyurappa, said the Centre would first release Rs. 2000 crore as interim relief to the state. “The Prime Minister wanted to know if it was possible to build five lakh houses in flood ravaged areas of the state. He also appreaciated the work done by the state government in these parts,” he added.

The state government hopes to take up relief work in the flood ravaged areas of North Karnataka, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Hassan, Uttara Kannada, Chikamagaluru and Madikeri districts with the Central aid.

Mr Yeddyurappa also met Union railways minister, Piyush Goyal and discussed the on- going railway projects in Karnataka, including the Bengaluru suburban rail, strengthening of the railway police in Karnataka, the Hassan-Beluru- Shringeri new railway line and the Bidar- Nanded rail line.

Also present at the meeting were Chief Secretary, Vijay Bhaskar, Union minister, Prahlad Joshi, Union minister for state for railways, Suresh Angadi and former Chief Minister, Jagadish Shettar.