Central team to assess flood damage in K'taka

A team from the Centre will soon visit the state to assess the damage caused to life, property and crops due to extensive floods and drought, Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy said on Thursday.

Kumaraswamy who returned from a two-day visit to New Delhi after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singha and other key Union ministers, told reporters here that Karnataka had sought Rs 1,400 crore aid from the Centre to mitigate drought in 124 taluks and to take up flood relief works in five districts of the state.

"The prime minister has promised to send a team of experts at the earliest to assess the damage caused to property. The state is facing a strange situation "" drought in some parts and floods in other areas. We are depending on the Centre for assistance," he added.

The state has submitted two separate proposals to the Centre. One for Rs 6,800 crore special package to address the increasing farmers' suicides and another for Rs 1,400 crore to complete pending irrigation projects.

The chief minister had led an all-party delegation to discuss the border dispute with Maharashtra.

"The Prime Minister has assured that the state's interests would be protected. We told him that the dispute was solved long ago through the Mahajan Committee report," he stated.