Yediyuppa’s first task for newly appointed ministers: Visit flood-hit areas

Speaking at the Cabinet meeting, Yediyurappa said, “The portfolios and the responsibility of the districts would be finalised shortly. Meanwhile, the ministers must immediately commence a study on the woes caused by the inundation and submit a report involving the relief measures before the next cabinet meeting.”

As on Monday evening, the death toll mounted to 82 while nine persons have been declared missing. Districts of north, coastal and Malnad regions were devastated by rains, floods and landslides in the first fortnight of this month.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Minister J C Madhuswamy said, “The Ministers have been asked to visit all flood-affected areas, hold discussion with people at taluk-levels and gather information from them, and at the district-level we will hold discussion with officials regarding the work that has happened so far and what needs to done both immediately and permanently.”

The ministers in charge for flood-affected districts include Lakshmana Savadi in Belagavi, Shashikala Jolle in Chikkodi (Belagavi), K.S.Eeshwarappa in Bagalakote, Govinda Karjola in Vijayapura, Basavaraj Bommai in Haveri, Jagadeesh Shettar in Dharwad, CC Patil in Gadag, Sriramulu in Bellari in Raichur, CT Ravi in Chikkamagalur, Madhu Swamy in Hassan, S Suresh Kumar in Kodagu, R Ashok in Mysore, V.Sommanna in Chamrajanagar, Kota Srinivas Poojari in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.

Yediyurappa, who ran a “one-man cabinet” till expansion of his ministry on Tuesday, has held four cabinet meetings so far. Karnataka can have a maximum of 34 Ministers, including the CM.

With this “limited” expansion, 16 Cabinet berths are vacant, leaving space for some of the disqualified former Congress and JDS MLAs who helped bring down the coalition government headed by Kumaraswamy to get on board.