Hubballi: Once again coming down hard on the state government for not carrying out adequate flood relief measures, Congress Legislature Party leader, Siddaramaiah, who was on a tour of his Badami constituency on Wednesday, told the angry villagers that he would have come to their aid if he was Chief Minister.
“The flood has hit Karnataka when Yediyurappa is the Chief Minister. The key of the treasury is with the BJP. The people of the state have not given the party the key, but it has snatched it from them. We will solve all these problems after the Congress party comes to power in April-May next year”, he said, predicting mid-term polls in the state.
The flood victims poured out their grievances to him in several villages of Badami taluk on the second day of his tour. One woman, Iravva Talawar of Kittali village said she had been left homeless by the flood as she had not been provided alternative shelter by the government. Responding to the complaints of the flood vicitms about improper survey of damaged houses and crop loss, Mr Siddaramaiah took the local tahasildar to task and directed the officials to distribute the compensation in two categories instead of the four fixed by the government.
The Congress leader denied the charges of BJP leaders that he had become leader of the opposition in the state assembly by blackmailing the Congress high command, and claimed he had never hankered after the position, but accepted it only under pressure from party legislators.
Meanwhile, the flood has receded somewhat in the Malaprabha river basin and with the water surrounding the world heritage site of Pattadkal too receding, people have returned to their villages here. The villagers are relieved that neighbouring Maharashtra has decreased release of water from its dams.
