BELAGAVI: The Centre’s delay in releasing flood relief funds to the state took a toll on Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, who had to face the people’s ire in Belagavi on Friday morning, hours before the Rs 1,200-crore relief package was announced.
Protesting against the Centre’s anti-Karnataka stance, many farmers lay down on the road, forcing his car to a halt near the guesthouse in Belagavi. Before the situation could slip out of hand, the CM intervened to pacify the agitating farmers, assuring them that his government would pay the entire compensation at the earliest.
Unrelenting, the agitators continued raising slogans against Yediyurappa’s government, forcing police to arrest them to make way for the CM’s convoy. A team of senior officials was sent to meet the farmers at the APMC police station in Belagavi, in an attempt to take them into confidence. Later, several teams of farmers staged protests near flood-hit Darur village in Athani taluk, and the Krishna Sugar Factory premises.
Yediyurappa said the Centre had not rejected the report on floods sent by his government. “The Centre asked for some clarifications, for which we have already sent officials to New Delhi. The state government has brought the ground situation in the state to the Centre’s notice and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are also aware of the flood situation in Karnataka,’’ said Yediyurappa. He said his government was prepared to take up rehabilitation on its own.