Karnataka delegation to meet PM for flood relief

An all-party delegation from Karnataka will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday to seek central aid for the flood-hit districts in the state, an official said on Sunday.

"Led by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, the all-party delegation will meet Modi at his office and seek relief fund," the official said in a statement here.

Heavy rains and strong winds in mid-August caused flash floods and landslides in Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Udupi districts in the state's south interior and coastal areas, leaving behind a trail of destruction and loss of life and property.

Kumaraswamy wrote to the Prime Minister on August 24, seeking Rs 2,000 crore interim relief and rehabilitation of the flood survivors and asked the Prime Minister to send a central team to assess the damage.

Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, BJP's Lok Sabha members K. Nalin Kumar (Mangaluru), Shobha Karandlaje (Udupi-Chikkamagaluru) and Pratap Simha (Mysuru), Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge will be part of the delegation.

BJP's state unit President B.S. Yeddyurappa and opposition leader in the Legislative Council K.S. Poojari will also meet Modi on the situation in the affected districts.

As per initial estimates, the loss is feared to be Rs 3,000 crore in Kodagu alone.

The natural disaster from August 14-22 claimed 17 lives and damaged about 2,200 houses in Kodagu district.

--IANS

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