BENGALURU: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Monday told a Central inter-ministerial team visiting Karnataka to assess the damage caused by floods that the State had suffered losses to the tune of Rs 8,071 crore.In a video presentation on the extent of loss and damage, Yediyurappa said crops in 4.03 lakh hectares were destroyed apart from damage caused to roads, bridges, infrastructure and government buildings including schools.
A six-member Central team led by K V Pratap, Joint Secretary, Union Home Ministry, met Yediyurappa at his official residence Krishna. Highlighting that 22 districts in the State were battered by floods in 2018 and 2019 as well, the Chief Minister presented them a copy of the State’s assessment of damage to life, livelihood and property due to the floods this year. The team will tour the State till Wednesday and make their own assessment.
“The State government is providing financial assistance under a visionary reconstruction scheme with the motto of ‘rebuild with quality’. A sum of Rs 5 lakh for houses damaged completely, Rs 3 lakh for partially damaged houses, Rs 50,000 for slightly damaged houses is being given as assistance. And Rs 1,500 crore has been spent last year. This year, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the State will bear the cost of Rs 200 crore,” Yediyurappa told the Central team.
The State government has asked the team to recommend immediate revision to SDRF and NDRF guidelines to release additional funds.“The Central government has set up four specific windows for the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) but Covid-19 has stalled our attempts. A sum of Rs 460 crore has been released to SDRF to manage the Covid-19 crisis and the flood situation. But the Covid-19 cases are on the rise in the State and there is an urgent need for additional funds to carry on flood relief and rehabilitation works,” Yediyurappa told the Central team.