BJP unit to stage indefinite protest

Accusing the Congress-JD(S) coalition government of "gross neglect" in tackling the flood situation, BJP's Karnataka unit on Wednesday said it would stage an "indefinite day-night" protest at Belgaum from August 22, to press for taking up relief work on a war-footing.

The district administation was not showing the "sensitivity, quickness and sincerity that the situation caused by unprecedented floods demand, reflecting the indifference of the government," opposition BJP leader in the assembly B S Yediyurappa told reporters here.

The interim relief of Rs 300 crore announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for relief works was "inadequate" and another Rs 1,000 crore should be released by the Centre as the first instalment.

The government has not spent more than Rs 10 crore of its own funds on relief works "nor Rs 76 crore which is lying in the calamity relief fund," he said.

Yediyurappa said the government has also not cared to call an all party meeting on the flood situation.

The party MPs, legislators and other elected representatives at the grassroots level would take part in the Belgaum protest.

Yediyurappa asked the government to set up a monitoring committees, comprising MPs, legislators and NGOs engaged in relief work, to ensure that the funds were not misused.