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Flood of woes: Congress plans protest rally in Belagavi

Targeting the Union government, the former CM said it was acting like it did not have anything to do with the floods in Karnataka.

Bengaluru: The opposition Congress party will hold a massive rally in Belagavi on September 24 to protest against the failure of the state and Union governments to provide relief to flood and drought affected districts, said former CM and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah.

Talking to reporters after the CLP meeting here on Wednesday, he said as many as 103 taluks in 22 districts faced unprecedented floods but the response of the state government is disappointing. People continue to suffer with no funds released by the BJP led NDA government at the Centre to take up relief work. Except for the release of Rs 10,000 to house owners whose houses were inundated in the flood waters, no other relief measures have been taken. Temporary sheds have not been constructed to provide shelter to the affected families. A number of school buildings had collapsed due to which classes were not held for students in the last one month. There is also a shortage of drinking water.

Targeting the Union government, the former CM said it was acting like it did not have anything to do with the floods in Karnataka. Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not even bother to conduct an aerial survey of the flood affected areas nor does the state government have the guts to demand immediate relief from the PM.

Criticisng the 25 BJP MPs from the state in the Lok Sabha, he said they were not ready to pressurise Mr Modi to expedite release of compensation to enable the state government take up rehabilitation work in the affected districts. As for the 53 taluks reeling under severe drought, he said the crops had withered due to the failure of rains and yet, the state government is yet to declare those taluks drought-hit and take up relief work.

Mr Siddaramaiah also slammed Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K.S. Eshwarappa for using unparliamentary words against the minority community and remarked that he was unfit to be in public life.

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