CM announces Rs 100 crore rain relief fund for Kodagu

MYSURU/MADIKERI: Announcing rain damage fund for

Kodagu

district, chief minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday announced that Rs 100 crore will be released in the first round.

Starting his two-day tour of the rain-battered Kodagu district, the CM held a meeting with officials to discuss rain-related damages before offering

bagina

to Harangi river.

“I’m aware of the problems being faced by the people in the district this monsoon season. I have come here to hear their grievances and bail them out of their problems. The government has come to the rescue of people of Kodagu which provides water to the state,” Kumaraswamy told reporters after offering bagina.

The CM said that the PWD submitted a report to increase the funds to develop roads in the district. “I have received Rs 329 crore proposal with regard to providing permanent solution to rain problems in the district. The roads will be repaired after the monsoon subsides,” he said after a meeting with district officials.

Kumaraswamy said that additional staff from Hassan and other districts attached to Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation will be summoned to Kodagu to repair the damages on a war footing, he stated.

Kodagu has been receiving copious rainfall for the first time in the past three-and-half decades. However, this has also brought miseries to the residents here. Nearly 2,000 electric poles have been damaged, leading to disruption of power supply across the district.

It is learnt that minister H D Revanna managed the main issues in the meeting.

Bagina in Cauvery basin

Earlier, H D Kumaraswamy offered bagina to Harangi river at

Harangi dam

located on the Mysuru-Kodagu border.

Kumaraswamy was accompanied by his wife and former MLA Anitha Kumaraswamy, water resources minister D K Shivakumar, PWD minister H D Revanna and tourism minister S R Mahesh. BJP MLAs Appachu Ranjan and K G Bopaiah, MLC Sunil Subramani and Congress MLC Veena Achaiah were also present.

Filled to the brim earlier this month, water is being released from the dam. The water level is maintained at 2,857ft against its maximum level of 2,859 feet. The inflow stood at 14,466 cusecs while the outflow was 9,100 cusecs on Thursday.

This is first time in a long time that a CM offering puja at Harangi dam. Traditionally, bagina is offered at KRS and Kabini dams, but Kumaraswamy is performing the ritual at all the three major reservoirs in Cauvery basin. He is likely to visit Hassan and offer bagina to Hemavathi river at Gorur next week. The CM will visit Thalacauvery to perform a puja early on Friday.

Fatah meets CM
Fatah, the class 8 student from Emmemadu village whose video alleging the neglected state of Kodagu went viral, met chief minister H D Kumaraswamy at the DC’s office here on Thursday. The CM had invited Fatah to meet him in Madikeri.

The boy requested Kumaraswamy to sanction a junior college to his village, 3-km road and retaining wall for his village school. The CM assured him to meet the demands soon.

Fatah was accompanied by his uncles Abdul Rajak and Abdul Khader. Fatah told reporters that he made the video without the knowledge of his father. The boy said that he was worried about the future of Kodagu.

In the video, Fatah said that people in the district suffer, particularly during the rainy season.