TUMAKURU: In a candid admission about the state’s coffers, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday said there was indeed a financial crunch, because of which government has been forced to divert available resources to the post-flood relief and rehabilitation work. So much so that the fund flow to other social welfare schemes, like farm loan waiver, have slowed down, and other work has been hit.
Speaking after inaugurating the renovated Yediyur Siddalingeshwara temple near Kunigal, Yediyurappa said, his priority now is to attend to flood relief works. “Two lakh houses were damaged and seven lakh hectares of crops washed away in the floods. We are diverting funds for flood relief works, including for building houses and providing compensation to farmers.
During the legislature session, I had assured that the other welfare schemes postponed due to special reasons will be taken up after taking into consideration the availability of funds,” he said, adding that as the CM and the Finance Minister, he “is well aware of the financial status of the government”.
There seems to be a massive financial burden on the state exchequer as the losses due to the floods that affeceted 22 out of 30 districts is estimated at Rs38,000. That apart, the State Government also needs to make provision for the farm loan waiver announced by the Congress-JDS coalition government and continue various other schemes.
Responding to the State’s request for financial assistance towards flood relief works, the Central Government had advanceda meager Rs1,200 crore under the NDRF. The State has also announced Rs 5 lakh per family for rebuilding houses and Rs 1 lakh each for repairing partially damaged houses.
CM cuts short MLA
When Kunigal MLA Dr Ranganath was criticising the BJP govt that it had stalled the Hemavathy canal to Kunigal taluk, the CM asked the MLA to stop the speech and asserted that he knew how to deal with the irrigation projects.
The State Government has given Rs 10,000 each as immediate relief for families hit by floods. That apart, it has also promised compensation for crop loss. The CM said, “I have to adjust money for the farmers’ loan waiver scheme which the previous government announced. It may take up to January-February before we can focus on other projects and special schemes. Right now, my priority is flood relief works and irrigation projects too will be taken up in a phased manner.”
Yediyurappa said in the current financial situation, it is impossible to implement all the projects the previous government had approved without allocating funds. “They have approved many projects without making financial provision. They have approved irrigation works for the next four to five years and it is impossible to implement all of them at once. Based on their usefulness, we will take up projects on priority without any prejudice,” he said. Soon after returning from Maharashtra, the CM held a meeting with the Finance Department to review the situation.
Community Hall
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday laid the foundation stone for a community hall that his family will build at an estimated cost of Rs 3.5 crore. “The work will commence from Saturday itself as the contractors have been given the green signal”, he said. The hall will be named after Yediyurappa and his late wife Mythra Devi. Yediyurappa said he was happy to inaugurate the renovated courtyard of the temple for which he had allocated Rs 10 crore when he was CM during 2008. Yediyur Siddalingeshwa is the family deity of Yediyurappa and the temple has a history of five centuries.