From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Oct 16: Chief Minister (CM) B S Yediyurappa, who held a video conference with the deputy commissioners and chief executive officers of the heavily flood-affected 12 districts from his Home Office of Krishna in Bengaluru on Friday, has released Rs 85.49 crore for undertaking immediate relief works.

Expressing serious concern over the plight of the people suffering due to heavy rains and floods, the Chief Minister asked the heads of the affected district administration to face the flood situation and the havoc caused by it on war footing.

Karnataka has received more than the normal rains this year, the Chief Minister asking the Deputy Commissioners to furnish a comprehensive status report.

The districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Shivamogga, Kalaburgi, Bidar, Yadgir, Ballari, Raichuru, Bagalkote, Davangere, Koppala, Vijayapura and Belagavi had experiences heavy rains from October 10 15 due to depression in the Bay of Bengal, which had resulted in heavy inflows in Bhima and other rivers in the State.

The situation due to heavy rains and floods had been made worse due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the Chief Minister said asking the officials to ensure that the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on account of Corona pandemic were followed. At the same time, steps must be taken to shift people in the low lying areas and places likely to be inundated due to floods, he said.

The Chief Minister wanted the administration in all the affected districts to ensure that the people and cattle were protected. Measures to supply fodder to cattle must be taken, he said.

All precautions for looking after the Corona positive people and maintain the social distancing norms as well as wearing masks must be taken even as steps for shifting COVID positive persons must be shifted immediately to Corona Care Centres.

The Chief Minister said as many as 12 National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), including 6 units from Chennai have been dispatched to different districts. While Kalaburgi has been assigned 3 NDRF units, Yadgiri and Raichuru have been sent 2 units each. In addition, the State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) units have also been pressed into service.

Kalaburgi and Yadgir districts have been supplied with 14 boats from Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Ballari districts, Yediyurappa said asking the district administrations to enlist the help and cooperation from Non-Governmental Organisations and local people in all affected districts to ensure that the relief and rehabilitation measures were taken up.

51,810 farmers get Rs 36.57 cr input subsidy

The Chief Minister also took steps for direct transfer of Rs 36.57 crore into the bank accounts of 51,810 farmers.

State Chief Secretary T M Vijaya Bhaskar, Chief Minister’s Additional Principal Secretary Dr E V Ramana Reddy, Finance Department’s Additional Principal Secretary I S N Prasad and other senior officials attended the meeting.

Earlier, National Children’s Rights Protection Commission Member Dr R G Anand paid courtesy call the Chief Minister at his Home Office.