Relief to Karnataka after Central team survey, Modi tells Yediyurappa

The Union government is expected to announce relief fund to Karnataka for undertaking rehabilitation work in flood-affected areas only after a survey of the areas by a Central team. The team is expected to arrive in the next few days, according to sources.
Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum seeking immediate release of grants for undertaking rehabilitation works in the flood-hit areas. “The Prime Minister assured [us] that a Central study team will visit soon to assess the damage,” Mr. Yediyurappa told reporters after the meeting.
“We had a long discussion and will be briefing Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and a team of experts. We have asked for a long-term plan as well as an immediate sanction to tackle this situation,” Mr. Yediyurappa said. Water release from reservoirs in Maharashtra, coupled with incessant rain, led to inundation of many areas in the State, he said.
In a memorandum, the Chief Minister stated that from August 3 to 10 the State received the highest rainfall in the last 118 years. The rain havoc destroyed public and private properties worth ₹40,000 crore. “About ₹40,000 crore is what we think is the amount needed for the rehabilitation, including reconstruction of roads and bridges,” he said.
The death toll in the floods has crossed 60 while at least 14 people are still missing. The total number of houses damaged is close to 60,000 while standing crops on close to 5 lakh hectares have been damaged. A total of 630 bridges, 4,000 km of roads and 54,000 electricity poles and transformers have been damaged. Nearly four lakh people have been provided shelter in relief camps.

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