Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar expressed dissatisfaction with officials during her visit to flood-hit Khanapur, criticizing them for delayed response to relief efforts and inaccuracies in assessing flood damages. She emphasized receiving numerous complaints from villagers about the slow official response and highlighted discrepancies such as recording partial house collapses instead of complete destruction. She warned of potential legal consequences for these errors.
She instructed officials to ensure that flood victims receive all entitled relief, including an immediate ₹1.2 lakh and a ₹1.8 lakh subsidy for low-cost housing from the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation.
During her visit to Rumewadi, Hattiholi, Kukadoli, and Bendigeri villages in Khanapur taluk and Belagavi Rural constituency, Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar assured that the government will prioritize developing basic infrastructure in Western Ghats villages. She emphasized finding permanent solutions to prevent the flooding of low-lying bridges and dams, aiming to mitigate future risks to life.
She highlighted challenges stemming from rigid Forest Department regulations that hinder resolving community issues, announcing plans to reconstruct the ₹100 crore Hattiholi bridge.
The Minister also met with the family of a recently deceased woman in Amagaon village, pledging healthcare support for forest area residents. She assured reporters that adequate funding is available for flood relief efforts, joined by MLA Vitthal Halagekar and officials from the Revenue and Irrigation departments.
