The Hindu : Hassan gets Rs. 1.6 cr. from Calamity Relief Fund

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 15, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Hassan gets Rs. 1.6 cr. from Calamity Relief Fund

By Our Staff Correspondent

HASSAN APRIL 14. Hassan District recently received Rs. 1.6 crore in cash and 8,600 tonnes of foodgrains from the Calamity Relief Fund of the Union Government. Eighty per cent of the drought relief programmes taken up in the third stage have been completed, and the action plan for the fourth stage has been submitted to the Government.

Making the announcement at a press conference here on Monday, the Revenue Minister and the Minister in charge of the district, H.C. Srikantaiah, said sufficient funds and foodgrains had been released to the district administration to take up programmes in the drought-affected areas.

A sum of Rs. 2.40 crore had been released to the Minor Irrigation Department to remove silt from 127 tanks in the district, Rs. 40 lakh to rejuvenate tanks in Channarayapatna taluk, and Rs. 26 lakh to remove silt from the famous Hirisave tank, he added.

In addition to the funds earmarked for attending to the drinking water shortage in the district, an additional sum of Rs. 30 lakh had been released under the drought relief scheme.

Sugar factory

On the recent problems encountered by the Hemavathi Sugar Factory in Chennarayapatna taluk, he said he had transferred the responsibility of sorting out the problem to the Commissioner of the Department of Cooperation, and the Commissioner of the Sugar Directorate. An action plan had been submitted to the Sugar Directorate for laying roads in the sugar factory area at a cost of Rs. 40 lakh, which would be made available through the sugar cess.

He said some of the directors of the Hemavathi Sugars had resigned because of "political compulsions'', and the authorities concerned would initiate further action in this regard. As part of plans to rejuvenate the company, several aspects, including co-generation, expansion, and distillery, would be considered by the Sugar Directorate, he added.

Compensation

On the long-pending demand for crop compensation by farmers in the Bagur-Navile area (to the tune of Rs. 25.61 crore, as recommended by a committee appointed by the Department of Horticulture), he said it would be "sympathetically considered".

At a meeting with farmers who were victims of alleged police atrocities during their struggle on the issue of the Bagur-Navile tunnel, leaders of the Congress, which was in the Opposition at the time, assured farmers that if their party came to power, crop compensation would be provided as recommended by a committee appointed by the Government. Mallikarjun Kharge, then Leader of the Opposition, and Mr. Srikantaiah promised compensation at a public meeting.

Responding to a question on the Hassan District Central Cooperative Bank, Mr. Srikantaiah said he was not aware of the bank's affairs, and would examine allegations.

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Hassan gets Rs. 1.6 cr. from Calamity Relief Fund