BENGALURU: Four days after a high-level committee of the Home Ministry announced Rs 1,869 crore additional assistance to Karnataka for flood relief, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday clarified that the funds include the Rs 1,200 crore released in October 2019.
Following a press release from the Union Home Ministry, the CM had hailed the Centre for allotting Rs 1,200 crore as flood relief in October 2019 and Rs 1,869 crore earlier this week. While officials from the state government maintained that the second instalment amounted to only Rs 669.85 crore and the announcement of Rs 1,869 crore included last year’s advance leading to confusion over the actual fund amount.
Putting an end to all queries, Yediyurappa said the fresh release of funds only amounted to Rs 669 crore as against Rs 3,070 crore as claimed earlier. The confusion seems to be due to a lack of clarity on the Centre’s communication to the state government. “First, they released Rs 1,200 crore and now Rs 1,869 crore,” Yediyurappa had said on Tuesday. But on Friday, the Chief Minister clarified that the total fund so far was Rs 1,869 crore and what was approved in October 2019 was only an advance from the allocation made now.
Damages of D35Kcr
The Congress, led by party leader Siddaramaiah, had been consistently pointing out that the Centre had only released Rs 1,869 crore as flood relief even as the state has reported damages amounting to Rs 35,000 crore.