Dr Veerendra Heggade’s Rs 25 crore to CM’s fund

Mangaluru: There's more help coming the way of flood victims in the state with Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari, Dr Veerendra Heggade announcing a donation of over Rs 25 crore to the Chief Minister's relief fund on Saturday.

The money will be channelled through the Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Programme (SKDRDP).

With Belthangady taluk experiencing among the worst flooding and landslides this monsoon, the Dharmadhikari presented a cheque of Rs 50 lakh to Belthangady MLA, Harish Poonja, towards the Kalaji Belthangady Flood Relief Fund.  

Not stopping there, he has set aside Rs 2 crore for a Western Ghats Study Centre  to do research into the factors responsible for the disaster and suggest solutions.

“Kodagu and Kerala have witnessed landslides twice. We don't want this to happen again. To prevent such incidents we need to do research to study the reasons," Dr Heggade told reporters here, adding that the research would be conducted with the help of a national organisation, which has not yet been identified and the report submitted to the government.

The Dharmadhikari also announced the setting up of disaster management units in every taluk to help in rescue operations during natural calamities. The hundred member team will be set up in every taluk and will include members from the SKDRDP, Janajagruti Vedike, Pragati Bandhu Okkuta and self-help groups.

"In all, the two lakh volunteers in the state will be provided special training and all the necessary material to help in rescue operations," he explained, urging the Union government to also come to the rescue of the state.