Mysuru/ Hassan: Chamarajanagar district minister C S Puttarangashetty on Thursday inspected various drought-hit villages in Chamarajanagar and Gundlupet taluks.He inspected standing maize and banana crops which have been affected due to scarcity of rain in Harave, Maleyur, Sigehalli, Balachawadi and Ranganathapura villages.During the visit, villagers aired complaints about social security schemes and asked him to solve the drinking water crisis. The minister directed the officials to resolve the complaints on a priority.Meanwhile, Puttarangashetty has threatened to file a defamation case against people spreading rumours against him that he paid money to get a cabinet berth. The minister told reporters that he would file a defamation case against those spreading rumours against him.Hassan district minister KM Shivalinge Gowda assured maize growers that govt will take immediate steps to provide interim relief to farmers whose crops have been badly affected by the white-streak disease. He visited several affected villages in the district and interacted with farmers to understand the extent of the damage.Speaking to reporters, he said the district administration would be instructed to begin the process of providing interim relief without delay.The minister also said the govt would work to ensure that farmers who had insured their crops receive their insurance claims at the earliest. In addition, the govt would be urged to provide a special financial package under the existing guidelines, including the provisions of the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). To assess the losses, the minister announced the formation of a committee headed by the DC. The committee will include farmers’ representatives, elected representatives, and govt officials. It will inspect the affected areas and recommend suitable relief measures.Responding to the concerns raised by farmers about notices and cases reportedly filed against some of them, Gowda said the govt would examine the facts and ensure justice if any action had been taken due to a misunderstanding.Hassan MP Shreyas Patel, DC KS Latha Kumari, SP Shubhanvita and former minister B Shivaram accompanied the minister during the visit.
