Karna govt to set up squad to check misuse of flood-relief

The Karnataka government will set up a state-wide squad to check any misuse during the flood relief programme, Revenue Minister R Ashoka said on Wednesday.

Addressing reporters after a meeting with senior officials on the flood relief programme, Ashoka said there was anotion among some people that the natural calamity was an opportunity to plunder resources.

"This belief reflects in (sections of) media as well", he said.

"For the first time, we have decided to form a squad, which will randomly visit places to contain the menace of middlemen," Ashoka added.

This statewide squad, which would travel to flood-affected areas and meet people there would examine whether the money reached the beneficiaries, the affected persons or middlemen were siphoning it off, he said.

Ashoka said the government would directly transfer money into the accounts of the victims instead of paying through cheques.

Cautioning officers against any malpractices in the name of flood relief programme, he said, "We will take stringent action against anybody demanding money from the flood hit people to include them in the list of beneficiaries."