BENGALURU: After Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s aerial survey of flood-hit districts, senior Congress leaders too have started visiting villages that have been ravaged by floods. They will do rounds of areas in North Karnataka to get first-hand information on the extent of damage caused by floods and to assess the relief work taken up by authorities.
Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president Eshwar Khandre and other senior leaders will visit floodaffected areas in Bidar, Kalaburagi and Yadgir on Sunday and Monday.
Party sources said that the leaders will interact with local people to learn about issues they are facing and the assistance they have received from the government. Heavy rains and release of water into Bhima river from dams in neighbouring Maharashtra caused flooding in North Karnataka districts, damaging standing crops in thousands of hectares.
The government had to seek the assistance of the Army and NDRF personnel to rescue people. Now, as water level in Bhima river is receding, people are returning to their houses. Many rel ief centres that were opened by the local authorities are being closed
. The Congress had accused the administration of not doing enough to help people in flood-hi t areas and had slammed the government for not taking its suggestions on preventive measures seriously. During the two-day visit, senior Congress leaders will get information that will help them put pressure on the government to take appropriate measures to help the flood-hit people. The government, however, has claimed that all necessary assistance is being provided to people.