HUBBALLI: With the rain and floods playing havoc in parts of Karnataka, Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai on Saturday said the state will seek financial assistance from the Union government after getting detailed reports on the damages.Due to intermittent rains, thousands of houses have collapsed or were partially damaged, farmers have suffered huge crop losses and some regions have been flooded. The government has taken up rescue and relief measures and has been distributing compensation for damaged houses.
On measures taken to tackle the situation, Bommai told reporters that compensation for damages to houses and loss of crops have been increased considerably. Up to Rs 5 lakh is being handed out for houses that have been damaged completely, he said and clarified that people whose houses were damaged due to rain in May will get the revised compensation.
Stating that most houses that were damaged were in low-lying areas, the CM said the affected residents will get houses under various schemes.“The state is expected to get around 18 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana. When this comes through, priority will be given to compensate for damaged houses along with a grant from the state government,” he said.
The government has instructed officials to respond quickly to flood situations. “As far as flooding in rivers in North Karnataka districts is concerned, the deputy commissioners of the respective districts have asked to be in touch with their counterparts in Maharashtra,” Bommai said.Officials responsible for dam management should be alert while releasing water, he said.