Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa chaired a meeting with industrialists and entrepreneurs on Wednesday (August 14), in which he said that the flood-hit villages will be renamed after them, if they donate amply to the flood relief.
At a meeting held at Vidhana Soudha, CM Yediyurappa said that Karnataka has suffered a severe loss due to the floods that have shattered several parts of the state. He said that villages will be named after the people who are contributing more than Rs 10 crore or more to the flood relief and rehabilitation funds.
The chief minister said that the villages that get funding would be treated as those adopted by the said companies which donate money. Over 60 industrialists and entrepreneurs had taken part in the meeting. More than 200 villages in 23 districts have been severely affected due to the torrential rains and floods.
Yediyurappa feels that this new scheme will help in getting funds to rebuild the flood-affected areas. He said that over 6.97 lakh people have been relocated to 1,160 relief camps and over 56,000 houses have been declared unfit for staying. "This is a disaster of unforeseen magnitude and it requires all of us to join hands and work towards a common goal," he said, reports The Hindu.
Principal Secretary of the state government Gaurav Gupta IAS also requested the corporates to contribute to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. The industrialists have assured the CM of contribution to help in rebuilding the affected areas.
The complete estimate of the damages due to the calamity has not been completed yet and would be known in a few days. The CM estimated the cost to be somewhere near Rs 40,000-50,000 crore. The cabinet has approved Rs 10,000 crore as additional relief for the affected areas.
