Flood Relief: Not A Single House Out Of 840 Ready In Kodagu; Foundation-Laying Ceremony Only A Photo Op?

About a month ago, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy along with Minister for Housing U T Khader posed for the cameras as they laid the foundation stone for the 840 houses to be constructed in the flood-affected Kodagu on 7 December 2018. They announced that 55 houses will be completed within a month’s time.

It has been a few days past one month and not even a single house has been constructed so far. More than 95 acres of land had been identified by the district administration in Karnangeri, Sampaje, Made, Jambooru and Kushalnagara.

It is only at Karnangeri that the work has progressed beyond the foundation stage. On 27 November 2018, the state government issued a notification stating that 840 houses will be constructed for those who have been affected by floods. Each house is expected to cost Rs 9.85 lakh and officials hope to finish the outline work by May before it starts raining again.

Deccan Herald quoted Virajpet MLA K G Bopaiah as saying, “We knew that it would be difficult to construct houses before the monsoon sets in. Work is going on very slowly and they may not be able to complete it on time. In November, organisations like Infosys foundation, one of the Ashta Mathas of Udupi and an NGO, Seva Bharathi, of the RSS, had come forward, offering help in constructing houses. These organisations were also ready to execute the construction work based on the model prescribed by the government, yet it was not approved.”