Karna to seek Rs 2400 crore Central aid

BANGALORE: Karnataka government would soon submit a memorandum to the Centre seeking Rs 2400 crore assistance for flood and drought relief works, State Minister for Revenue G Karunakara Reddy said today.

"After Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa retuns from a tour of U.S. the memorandum would be drafted and submitted to the Centre", Reddy told reporters here.

Yeddyurappa is returning to the city on September four. According to preliminary estimates, the state has suffered losses to the extent of Rs 600 crore from flood and drought and needed Rs 1779.38 crore besides 8.44 lakh tonnes of foodgrains to implement relief works in 84 drought affected taluks, he said.

A total of 28.13 lakh people have been hit by drought, he said adding standing crops on about 1.64 lakh hectares has been damaged due to scarcity conditions, Reddy said.

Torrential rains that pounded the districts of Mysore, Kodagu, Shimgoa, Uttara Kannada, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Dakshina Kannada, Chikmagalur, Haveri, Bellary, Davanagere, Dharwad, Hassan and Udupi last month claimed 74 lives and damaged 8111 houses, he said.

The government has released Rs 115 crore and would be releasing another Rs 40 crore soon for relief works, he added.