Rain: BMP estimates loss at Rs. 300 cr.

Rain: BMP estimates loss at Rs. 300 cr.

The Hindu

Affected persons to be given houses under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme

# 700 houses damaged in rain
# Commissioner lauds BMP staff engaged in relief work
# Government seeks report on remodelling drains

BANGALORE: The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) has informed the State Government that the loss on account of rain in the city is Rs. 300.85 crores.

This includes damage to private and BMP properties, bridges, culverts, drain walls and tanks, and the compensation given to families of people who lost their lives. BMP Commissioner K. Jothiramalingam said this at the BMP Council meeting here on Saturday.

The commissioner said the officials had submitted a memorandum to the Government, which gave details about the loss in the BMP limits.

"The Government had asked us to give details about the damage caused because of rain so that they can be included in the memorandum being submitted to the Centre on Monday," he said.

Giving a break-up of the damage, the commissioner said the loss in the east zone had been estimated at Rs. 100 crores, Rs. 92 crores in the west zone, and Rs. 94.36 crores in the south zone.

This is apart from the amount required to be spent on public health and rescue measures, he said.

Compensation

Till Friday, the BMP had distributed compensation cheques totalling over Rs. 62.66 lakhs to 3,320 affected people. "We have identified more affected people and will disburse compensation to them soon, he said.

Pointing out that over 700 houses had been damaged during the rain, Mr. Jothiramalingam said that the BMP would allot houses to the affected people under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme.

Sharing the credit of providing timely relief measures with all his colleagues in the BMP, "including the Class IV employees," the commissioner said: "all this has been possible only because of team work. All my employees, including the Class IV workers have worked day and night to provide relief to the affected people. We have even gone to areas outside our purview to help the affected people."

Remodelling

The commissioner said the Government had written to the BMP to get a detailed project report prepared for remodelling drains that flow into the seven city municipal councils (CMCs) and also rejuvenate tanks there. "Our project to remodel the four valleys (Koramangala, Hebbal, Challaghatta and Vrishabhavathi) also includes stretches up to one km in the CMC limits. As per directions from the Government, we will now get a report prepared for remodelling the drains till the end points," the Mr. Jothiramalingam said.

He said Stup Consultants would be entrusted with the task of preparing a feasibility and detailed project report.

Following directions from the State Government, the commissioner instructed the BMP employees not to go out of the city for the next four days. "This is to ensure that the workforce is available to take up relief measures.

The commissioner will call them for work if necessary," an official issued by the Joint Commissioner (Administration) circular said.