So allege officials who feel Sonia Gandhi gave AP more priority than Karnataka's flood-ravaged areas
So allege officials who feel Sonia Gandhi gave AP more priority than Karnataka's flood-ravaged areas
Congress president Sonia Gandhi who spent a mere 30 minutes taking an aerial tour of flood affected Karnataka not only spent an entire day doing the same in lesser affected Andhra Pradesh but also altered her travel plans visiting unscheduled areas there leaving officials in Bangalore alleging politics.
Accompanied by Union home minister P Chidambaram, Sonia Gandhi flew down to Bellary in a charted flight and soon went on a aerial survey in a state owned helicopter. Union law and justice minister M Veeerappa Moily, state home minister VS Acharya and Karnataka opposition leader RV Deshpande accompanied her.
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According to the police officials, Sonia arrived at around 1.23 pm and took off on her aerial survey at 1.30 pm. Soon after returning, Sonia and her team continued with their journey to the neighboring Andhra Pradesh.
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"They seemed to be in a hurry and make the state visit a mere formality,"said a senior intelligence officer who was a part of the Sonia's visit supervising team.u00a0 The team even visited Mahboob Nagar and other areas, which was s not scheduled in the list, which shows that Sonia and team wanted to concentrate more on AP than Karnataka.
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Sonia Gandhi later inspected Mehboob Nagar and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh along with Chief Minister K Rosaiah. "She could have spent some more time to understand the situation, which is worst than the AP, but it did not happened, the officials added bemoaning that Sonia did not even keen on releasing relief fund," a senior government official said.
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Chief Minister BS Yadiyurappa who accompanied Sonia Gandhi asked for Rs 10,000 crore as relief. Meanwhile, the union external affairs minister SM Krishna who held a briefing in Bangalore refuted the allegation that the center is not showing step motherly attitude. The Center has not even released the relief fund so far, then how can u say that they are resorting to step motherly treatment, Krishna shot back to a question from journalists.
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However the officials in the state government apprehensive about the situation stating that this could be graver if the centers do not release the relief fund immediately.
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"They can do inspections and surveys later and releasing the relief measures is the need of the hour," said an officer adding that the officials are wasting time in inspecting and discussing about the gravity of the situation.
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u00a0Krishna added that he had written to the Prime Minister to be generous while releasing funds. "I would meet him personally to convey the situation and press for more funds for the state," he said.
Rs 10,000 cr
The amount Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has requested as relief fund
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