Give Kodavas basic amenities : Former CM Siddaramaiah

Mysuru: Former chief minister Siddaramaiah, who trekked long distances to reach remote villages such as Makkandur and Hammathaalu which were devastated by recent landslides and floods in Kodagu district, announced that Members of Parliament (MPs), MLAs and MLCs of his party elected from the state, would donate a month's salary for relief and rehabilitation work in the coffee land and Kerala respectively, on Thursday.  

Mr Siddaramaiah, who also visited relief camps at Suntikoppa and other towns, told the media that an expert committee headed by former IPS officer and Member of Rajya Sabha Mr K C Ramamurthy has been constituted to implement relief measures in the district on a war footing. 

“Restoration of basic amenities like electricity, roads and others must happen on war foot basis. I will speak to the authorities concerned to take up work at the earliest in providing relief to those who have lost crops, agricultural land and other assets. I have asked our housing minister (Mr U T Khader) to come up with a scheme to build houses for all victims. I have also spoken to officers on supporting students to continue with their education," he added.  

He said the state government should step up relief and rehabilitation programmes and restore connectivity among villages to help people move about from one relief camp to another or back to their villages.  “An expert committee should be constituted to ensure that losses owing to natural calamities should not recur,” he added. 

Mr Siddaramaiah appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Kodagu district and announce a relief package to help people to return to normal life. 

KPCC president Mr Dinesh Gundurao who accompanied Mr Siddaramaiah said the state government would take all measures required for restoration and rehabilitation and relief of people of Kodagu.