Bengaluru: Under fire for its management of floods in the state, the Yediyurappa government in Karnataka has now had to backtrack on an initiative it espoused as part of rebuilding efforts.
The chief minister on 14 August had announced that the state government was willing to name flood-hit villages after companies that donate over Rs 10 crore for their rehabilitation.
The decision was announced after Yediyurappa met with 60 industrialists in Bengaluru to discuss how the private sector could help contribute to the flood-hit areas. The chief minister had appealed to the industry captains to donate generously as nearly 2,000 villages in 23 districts have been badly affected.
The move, however, drew flak from unhappy villagers of flood-hit North Karnataka who insist that the names are an integral part of their identity and culture.
Stung, Yediyurappa took to Twitter Friday to clarify that it is not villages but residential layouts that will be named.
“Clarification: Chief Minister had announced that the donors contributing more than 10 crores will have layouts named after them, not villages,” the CMO tweeted Friday morning.
Clarification: Chief Minister had announced that the donors contributing more than Rs. 10 crore will have the layouts named after them, not the villages.
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) August 16, 2019
Villages upset
The damage has, however, been done with several villagers of the 23 districts raising a furore over the decision.
“Every village or place has been named based on the culture and history associated with it. Belagavi is known for its bamboos,” said Mudegowdar Bheeemanagowda, a resident of Belagavi.
“It used to be called Venu Grama but over the years, the British called it Belgaum. But it reflects the ethos of the area in its name. The name of a village is associated with the sweat and toil of hundreds of Kannadigas. How can you sell it all off for a mere 10 crores?” added Bheeemanagowda.
“Just because Rs 10 crore is given, should we change our names too? All the villages in my area oppose this move and we will protests if it happens,” said Abhay Kumar Nandrekar, a resident of Bijapur and the president of the Karnataka Grape Growers Association.
“Infosys’ Sudha Murthy belongs to my village of Savalgi in Bijapur. She has spent over Rs 10 crore for flood relief but she has had no expectation of making any changes,” he added. “It is the people of the village who should feel proud of the work done by a company and give them their due. Not people like Yediyurappa to decide for us.”
Opposition slams move
The opposition Janata Dal (Secular) was quick to slam the government’s decision, likening it to that of the medieval ruler Tughlaq.
“BSY’s idea seems to like that of Tughlaq’s,” the party tweeted. “People have lost all their belongings and now he wants to take away their identity too.”
The Karnataka Congress called it absolute commercialisation of the situation.
“This is not the way you improve villages. Use NREGA and strengthen the Panchayati raj. Clearly, it was not well thought of, seeing the way Yediyurappa has taken a U-turn on this decision,” said Congress spokesperson Brijesh Kalappa.
Also read: CM for 20 days, Yediyurappa builds his image with full-page ads as Karnataka battles floods