Lok Sabha Debates
Regarding Situation Arising Out Of Flood In Karnataka, Particularly In Belgaum, ... on 22 August, 2005
> Title : Regarding Situation arising out of Flood in Karnataka, particularly in Belgaum, Bagalkot, Gulbarga, Bijapur, Raichur and Mangalore resulting in loss of lives and damage to crops and property and steps taken by the Government in regard thereto.
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR (BANGALORE SOUTH) Sir, I call the attention of the Minister of Home Affairs to the following matter of urgent public importance and request that he may make a statement thereon:
“The situation arising out of flood in Karnataka, particularly in Belgaum, Bagalkot, Gulbarga, Bijapur, Raichur and Mangalore resulting in loss of lives, damage to crops and property and steps taken by the Government in regard thereto.” THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL) Sir, the State of Karnataka, during current South-West Monsoon, has received 706 mm rainfall as against its normal rainfall of 605.3 mm, that is, 17 per cent more than the average normal rainfall till 19th August, 2005.
Some parts of the State received moderate to heavy rainfall in the months of June and July, 2005. The latest spell of heavy rainfall in the State commenced from 23rd July, 2005 and lasted for about three weeks. These heavy rains filled up almost all reservoirs and caused unprecedented floods in the major rivers of the State[KMR14] .
*Also placed in Library, See No. LT 2706/05 The major rivers and their tributaries which went into spate were the Cauvery, Bhima, Tungabhadra, Hemavathi, Krishna, Vedganga, Ghataprabha, Netravathi and Kamaradhara. Because of the heavy inflow of water in the reservoirs, most of the reservoirs in the State, namely, KRS, Harangi, Kabini, Tungabhadra, Hemavathi, Almatti, Narayanpur, Hidkal and Bhadra were overflowing. However, with the decline of rainfall activity in the region, now, the water level in all these rivers and reservoirs has started receding and the situation is improving.
The Krishna Basin, spanning over five districts, namely, Belgaum, Bijapur, Bagalkot, Gulbarga and Raichur were the worst affected. In addition, Dakshin Kannada district was also affected due to high sea waves. The district-wise details of these six districts, in terms of damage and rescue and relief operations undertaken are given in the Annexure.
MR. SPEAKER Hon. Members, please be silent. Otherwise, I will discontinue the discussion. It is a very important issue. You can go out and discuss. I do not stop that.
SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL: Based on preliminary estimates made by the State Government, the cumulative impact of the heavy rains and floods in Karnataka, during the entire South-West Monsoon is:No. of districts affected : 19 No. of talukas affected : 16
No. of villages affected : 1,315 No. of villages inundated/marooned : 250 Population affected : 29.05 lakhs No. of human lives lost : 130 No. of livestock perished : 11,601 No. of houses damaged : 88,240 Cropped area damaged : 1.96 lakh hectare Damage to infrastructure : Rs.578.80 crore (roads, public buildings, bridges, etc.) Total estimated loss : Rs.2,079 crore
The Government of Karnataka initiated immediate rescue and relief operations in the affected areas. The Government of India helped the Government of Karnataka. Twelve platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police Force and 400 Home Guard personnel, nine columns of the Army, 219 mechanized boats, four IAF helicopters, eight relief teams of Indian Army were mobilized and deployed for rescue and relief operations.
Elaborate medical arrangements comprising teams of doctors, ambulances and a medical team of the Indian Navy have been deployed in order to prevent the outbreak of any water borne diseases and post-flood epidemic. Veterinary doctors have also been deployed in the affected areas.
The Government of India have already released Rs.143.00 crore to the Government of Karnataka to enable the State Government to undertake rescue and relief operations in different flood affected areas.
On 16th August, 2005, the hon. Prime Minister had announced an additional amount of Rs.300 crore to the State Government. The hon. Prime Minister has also announced that all possible assistance will be extended to the State Government for restoring normalcy in the affected areas and a special relief package by NABARD to the affected farmers of the region.
For long term rehabilitation and reconstruction, the Government will constitute an Inter-Ministerial Committee on the lines of Core Group set up by the Planning Commission for Tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction.
The State Government has submitted its memorandum. The total provisional damage, as per the latest estimates is Rs.2,079 crore. A Central Team has already visited the State between 17th and 20th August, 2005 to assess the damage and the requirements of funds for relief operations[R15] .
I would like to assure the august House that the Government will extend all necessary assistance to the Government of Karnataka for meeting the situation caused by heavy rains and floods. The Ministry of Home Affairs is in constant touch with the State Government.
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR : Sir, Karnataka has witnessed the severest of floods in the last 100 years. Before I ask for clarifications, through you, Sir, I want to request the hon. Home Minister to sort out the discrepancies in his statement, because according to the preliminary memorandum given by the State Government of Karnataka on 5th August, and the recent submissions they have made to the hon. Prime Minister and the hon. Agriculture Minister in Panaji, they have said that the number of Talukas affected is 66. But somehow in the statement, it has been stated that the number of Talukas affected is 16.
SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL: It should be 66. I am sorry; it can be corrected.
MR. SPEAKER: Is it 60?
SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL: It is 66.
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR : Secondly, Sir, regarding the total estimated loss, the hon. Chief Minister and the hon. Deputy Chief Minister have told in the All-Party meeting in Bangalore, which has been widely publicized in the newspapers also, that they are sending a memorandum to the Union Government for an amount of Rs. 3,272 crore.
The floods and the releases from the Koina dam in Krishna River have affected the entire northern parts of Karnataka… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: Mr. Rajaram Pal, if you want to speak, then you may go out. I have not called you, please sit down. This is not a place for internal meetings here. I will not permit this. This is a bad habit being developed. A very important issue is being discussed. If you do not wish to hear, you can go outside, please.
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR : Sir, it is a very sad state of affairs that the Government of India and the Government of Karnataka have failed in their rescue, relief, rehabilitation and compensation activities. Calamity management has collapsed. The floods have hit on 23rd July, and today after one month, after the announcement of the hon. Prime Minister when he came to Panaji with the hon. Agriculture Minister, he could not visit the flood-affected areas of Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga and Raichur, because of the inclement weather. He said that Rs. 300 crore will be released immediately. But to my amazement, till now, Karnataka has got only Rs. 100 crore -- Rs. 43 crore as Karnataka’s due from Management Relief Care and Rs. 57 crore from the National Calamity Contingency Fund. Therefore, through you, Sir, I want the hon. Home Minister to again verify those figures.
Regarding Rs. 300 crore, which has been announced, and today I spoke to the Revenue Secretary, Government of Karnataka also, that even after six days after the announcement from the hon. Prime Minister, there has been no order of the draft or cheque for that amount of Rs. 300 crore. They have not received it. Not only that, it is heart-wrenching that yesterday, the hon. Chief Minister of Karnataka, when he was in Gulbarga, -- according to media reports -- has expressed great annoyance that the amount, whatever has been released, has not been distributed to any affected farmers[k16] .
According to the Chief Minister, till this moment, not a single farmer, who has lost his cattle, his house or crops, has been given a single naya paisa. Not only that, according to media reports, when he spoke to the Revenue Secretary, Karnataka, he replied: “…because we have not received any amount, especially those 300 crore rupees from the Government of India as announced by the Prime Minister, we have not distributed anything.” For that, the Chief Minister of Karnataka has replied: “This is not the way to help distressed people.” This is the situation out there. The reason why I am bringing all this in front of you and this august House is that the hon. Home Minister and the hon. Agriculture Minister have handled many natural calamities. Especially, the hon. Home Minister had been a witness to the catastrophe that occurred due to earthquake in Latur. They know as to how much it is necessary that they be given immediate relief and compensation.
Despite inclement weather, we – the hon. Leader of Opposition, Lok Sabha, Shri Advaniji, Ramesh Jigajinagiji, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Shri Yediyurappaji and myself - visited the affected areas on the 19th . We landed there with great difficulty and went to a rehabilitation centre at Janawada, 31 kilometres from Athani, Belgaum District. More than 8,000 farmers are awaiting relief for the last one month. They are living in most deplorable conditions. Therefore, I urge the Union Government that it should accept this request for Rs. 3,272 crore as a flood-relief grant from the Union Government. Half of the amount - Rs. 1,500 crore - should be immediately released today only. Not only should it be released, it should also see that it is distributed to the affected people.
Sir, the second clarification I want to put forth to the hon. Agriculture Minister, Shri Sharad Pawarji. He is all too keen to revise the guidelines of the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF). It is a mockery. As per the present guidelines, if the crop is lost due to flood in a dryland, compensation is Rs. 400 per acre, in a wet land, it is a thousand rupees per acre and in garden land, it is 1,600 rupees per acre. He and Shri Shivraj Patilji know very well, and the entire House also appreciates it, that a farmer loses Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 50,000 rupees per acre when such things happen. If a paltry sum of Rs. 400, Rs. 1000 or Rs. 1,600 is given, it is of no avail. The CRF norms are mainly for the drought hits. There is a great difference between Tsunami, flood and earthquake and drought because whenever the Tsunami - Tsunami is a sea flood and flood is by the rivers and rains - floods or earthquake comes, the destruction is immediate. Therefore, we urge the Government that it should revise the guidelines immediately; it should see this difference and should raise it to Rs. 10,000 per acre.
They are only giving Rs. 6,000 rupees for one destroyed house whereas for the Tsunami package, the Government of India has decided that Rs. 40,000 per house will be given. What is the difference when a house of a poor farmer is destroyed because of a flood or a Tsunami? Therefore, I urge that the same amount of Rs. 40,000 should be given. In the CRF guidelines for the infrastructure – especially for roads, bridges, bundings, canals, etc. – and also for electrical transformers – no amount is given. Only a small amount has been kept for the repair but nothing is kept for reconstruction of the devastated infrastructure[pkp17] .
Therefore, the CRF guidelines should be immediately re-drawn and it should be taken up immediately.
The last clarification is this. Both the hon. Home Minister and the hon. Agriculture Minister knew that Koina Dam which holds 93 tmc ft. of water is a dangling sword both for Karnataka as well as for Maharashtra. Recently on the 1st of August, the 3rd of August and the 14th of August, there have been earthquakes near Koina; according to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, the magnitude of the earthquake is 2.7 to 3.2 on the Richter scale. Due to these three recent earthquakes in that area, the Koina Dam had developed many cracks. Therefore, there is scare-driven reservoir management on Koina and they are releasing water without any coordination with the Irrigation Department of the Karnataka Government.
Due to this ‘dangling sword’ Koina, the areas of Sangli, Kolapur and Satara in Maharashtra and the entire Krishna basin areas of Karnataka, especially Belgaum, Bagalkot, Gulbarga, Bijapur and Raichur, are going to get seriously disturbed. I want to bring to the notice of the Union Government that Krishna River starts as a small river in Maharashtra, but before coming into Karnataka – with Koina, Erla, Varana, Ved Ganga, Dhoodh Ganga and Panch Ganga – it becomes a mighty Krishna River. So, six Rivers are coming into Krishna. Therefore, I urge upon the Union Government that they should direct the Central Water Commission to monitor the safety of Koina Dam and Koina Reservoir.
If Koina is not safe, the entire Krishna basin areas in Karnataka will be flooded and it will add to the rain havoc and it will add to the flood havoc; and there will be an artificial tsunami in the State of Karnataka. Finally, the breach on Koina Dam should be repaired. Till it is repaired, they should not store 93 tmc ft. of water because of the consequent dangers.
So, ultimately I request that 50 per cent of the estimated loss of Rs.3,272 crore should be immediately released; the CRP guidelines should be revised; and Koina Dam’s safety should be ensured. Thank you very much.
SHRI S. MALLIKARJUNIAH : Hon. Speaker Sir, Gulbarga, Belgaum, Bidar, Bijapura, Raichur and other districts in North Karnataka and some districts in Southern Karnataka are seriously affected by the recent floods. The people in the coastal Karnataka are also affected by the recent floods in the State. I do not want to go into the details. I endorse all the views expressed by Shri Ananth Kumarji.
I urge upon the Centre to come to the rescue of the people of Karnataka who are severely affected by floods. I hope that a substantial amount would be released by the Centre as demanded by the State for the relief works.
… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: Please take your seat. Let me conduct it.
… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: This is a very important issue and I have allowed it. It was very ably put and very exhaustively put. I am sure the hon. Minister will reply to that.
Now, I wish to read out the names of the hon. Members who would associate with Shri Ananth Kumar.
… (Interruptions)
__________________________________________________________________*Translation of the speech originally delivered in Kannada.
MR. SPEAKER: Please do not do this. I have got names of ten hon. Members here. I cannot allow everybody[R18] .
S/Shri Suresh Angadi, D.V. Sadanand Gowda, Gaddigoudar, Prahlad Joshi, G.M. Siddeswara, Basangouda R. Patil, Ramesh Chandappa, Jigajinagi, Manjunath Kunnur and M. Shivanna, all of them, very rightly, wanted to associate with it. I will not allow anybody to speak. They are allowed to associate with it. Now, the hon. Minister will reply.
… (Interruptions)
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR : Sir, Shri Sadanand Gowda may be allowed to speak.… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: I am sorry. I cannot pick and choose.
… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: I would then say that the hon. Minister need not reply.
… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: I have read out all the names. You all are associating with it. It is not possible to allow you. I am very-very sorry.
… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: Nothing will go on record except the Minister's submissions.
(Interruptions) * MR. SPEAKER: Only hon. Minister's statement will go on record.
… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: You are not doing justice to your State. Hon. Members, you are not doing justice to your State. I will not allow it. The issue has been raised very exhaustively. I have allowed this matter to be raised. I cannot pick and choose between ten Members. I am sorry.
SHRI D.V. SADANAND GOWDA (MANGALORE): At least one minute may be given to me… (Interruptions)
*Not Recorded SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL : Sir, the Government of Karnataka had indicated… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: Do you not want to listen to the reply? Let me know. I will ask him not to reply. I am sorry. I will not allow. I have said, I cannot discriminate between ten Members. I am sorry. Your names have been recorded.
… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: Shri Ananth Kumar, if you do not want to hear the reply, I will request the Minister not to reply. I will move on to the next item.
… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: No, I cannot allow. There are nine Members.
… (Interruptions)
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR : I would like to draw the attention of the hon. Minister to coastal Karnataka .… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: The Minister will also deal with coastal Karnataka. This is not the way. There are some rules, some procedure. I did not interrupt your Members. Please take your seats.
… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: Yes, that is the case. I have allowed him to speak for 22 minutes.
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR : Coastal Karnataka and Mangalore are the affected areas.… (Interruptions) The affected areas of Southern Karnataka also require attention by the Government.… (Interruptions)
SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL: I will reply to that also.
MR. SPEAKER: This is not the way. Do not pressurise the Chair.
… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: If you are so concerned, you should have given a separate notice.
… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: I am sorry. Shall I ask the Minister not to reply? Shri Ananth Kumar, it is entirely for you. I request the leaders of the Party.
SHRI D.V. SADANAND GOWDA : I am walking out in protest.… (Interruptions)
SHRI MANJUNATH KUNNUR (DHARWAD SOUTH): You are not giving time to the new Members. So, I am walking out in protest.… (Interruptions)
12.34 hrs. At this stage, Shri D.V. Sadanand Gowda, Manjunath Kunnur and some other hon. Members left the House.
SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL: I am sorry, Sir. The hon. Members could have signed this statement.
MR. SPEAKER: I cannot allow ten more Members to speak. Shri Ananth Kumar has made an exhaustive statement. This is not the way. Two hon. Members of the same Party have made their submissions. I appreciate it. I never interrupted anyone of them. It cannot go on and on. Ten Members want to put questions. There are methods of putting question in this House. If you say that you are a new Member, you should also know how to behave in the House.
SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL: Sir, the Government of Karnataka had initially estimated that the losses sustained were to the tune of Rs.1301 crore[R19] .
Now this estimate was changed later on and they suggested that Karnataka had sustained the losses to the tune of Rs.2079 crore. Mr. Ananth Kumar, hon. Member, has said that they have now come to the conclusion that the losses would be in the vicinity of Rs.3273 crore. We have already said that let them calculate the losses sustained and let them come to the final conclusion and when we receive their final memorandum, the demand made by the Government of Karnataka can be properly considered for appropriate response to their demand. So let us not quarrel with these figures because they have not ultimately come to the final figure which would be given to the Government of India.
Sir, the procedure which is followed in giving relief and assistance to the people who are affected is this. When a calamity occurs, the immediate response is to save the lives, to bring them out of the dangerous situations and to give them food, temporary shelter and medicines. That is the first step which is taken by any Government in any calamity. The Government of Karnataka had done that immediately after the floods started inundating the area. The people living in the villages, which were inundated, were rescued. They were taken to the safe places and were given food, clothing, medicine, and shelter also. That is the first step they have taken.
The second step which is generally taken after this is to provide them some shelter where they can live for a few months and give them some means which they can use to earn a livelihood for themselves. In some areas, foodgrains are supplied, which are sufficient for one month or two months or three months. At some places, the jobs are given to them and the money is also distributed. A small amount of money is given to each of the family. In some places, Rs.5000 and at some places more than Rs.5000 are given. If any person has died in any family because of the calamity, the compensation is given to that family and that compensation is in lakhs of rupees. This is the second step which is taken.
The third step which is generally taken is to find out the actual damages sustained by the area. If the electricity supply lines are damaged, if the drinking water projects are damaged and if the houses have collapsed, they calculate the actual damage which is sustained. Then they make all estimates and proper estimates are made and those estimates are given to the Government of India.
Here a committee is appointed consisting of officers coming from different Departments to consider the memorandum given by them and then a decision is taken. The amount of money which is required for this purpose is huge. It is a very big amount of money. It is not possible for us to provide funds out of the two Funds which are at the disposal of the Government. The funds which are required are really very huge and on the basis of their demands and the assessment done by the Government of India, the matter is taken to the Cabinet and the money is given to them.
The Government of Karnataka is a big and strong Government. We have been in discussion with them. Initially, an amount of Rs.140 crore has been given to them which has to be used for the first phase of meeting the requirement of the people because of this calamity[r20] .
I have signed the file saying that a sum of Rs. 300 crore shall be given as per announcements made by the hon. Prime Minister and Shri Sharad Pawar when they were there. That amount is also going to them. Later on, when they come with the final memorandum, that memorandum will be discussed and then it would be decided as to what amount of money will be given. That amount of money is not going to be required immediately. The job which has to be done to restore the infrastructure over there is going to take years and years. It is not going to be immediately done. So, it is not necessary that we fill gunny bags with currency notes and send them there. If we take a decision that a particular amount of money will be given to them, that amount of money shall be made available to the Government of Karnataka. The Government of Karnataka is in a position to use the funds that are with them. We have asked them not to worry about these things and they should manage these things.
Sir, as far as the earthquake in Koina is concerned, Shri Sharad Pawar told me – he was the person who was responsible for managing the calamity which had occurred in Latur as the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra – that immediately after tremors were felt in the region an expert Committee was sent to Koina. That Committee examined whether the dam that is constructed was strong enough or not to withstand the tremors which could be caused because of an earthquake. At that time the Committee had come to certain conclusions and the dam was strengthened. I was also told that the area suffers from tremors of around 2 to 3 or sometimes even less than 2 to 3 on the Richter scale. However, may I put before this august House that the entire Earth of ours is all the time trembling. There is not a moment when the Earth is not trembling, whether it is trembling at 2 or 3 on the Richter scale or less than that is the question. We do not have to bother about these things. Moreover, the Government of Karnataka is taking care of it and the hon. Members could go back to their respective States and constituencies and assure the people that necessary steps have been taken, otherwise unnecessarily there will be a scare created amongst the people because of the statements made in the Parliament itself. The Government of Maharashtra has taken steps and whatever is necessary will certainly be done. It is not going to cause any damage over there… (Interruptions)
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR : Sir, a breach has already occurred in the dam. It is the report of the BARC… (Interruptions) The Government should take it very seriously. It is not an ordinary matter… (Interruptions)
SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL: This is exactly what I am submitting. Without getting full information if you, a former Minister and a sitting MP, are making such statements, then nothing but a scare will be created amongst the people. It has not happened.
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR : Sir, the point is that it is not my statement. This is the statement of BARC… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: Shri Ananth Kumar, you have expressed your views, the hon. Minister has refuted that. Let both the views be there.
… (Interruptions)
SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL: Whose statement are you referring to? … (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: Mr. Minister, you have already refuted that.
SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL: Sir, this is not a simple thing. What is happening is that responsible persons are making all kinds of statements. This is creating a scare amongst the people. I am standing here as a Minister of the Government of India and making a statement, yet the hon. Member finds it difficult to rely on my statement being made on the floor of the House and willing to rely on what statements, I do not know. I am saying that it has not happened but he is again and again saying that it has happened. Shri Sharad Pawar has told me, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra has told me, we have acquired information and is making a statement on the floor of the House and yet he is insisting and sticking to his statement. Please for God sake let him not do that[snb21] .
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR : Sir, I am mentioning about the basis of my statement… (Interruptions) The BARC has stated… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: You have already made certain observations and the hon. Minister has refuted those.
… (Interruptions)
SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL: Sir, this is exactly creating a scare. It should be avoided. If the hon. Member really wants to help the people in that area, then he should not create fear in their minds. On the contrary, the best thing for him would have been to talk to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and get the information from him and then say whether this has happened or not. Instead of doing that a person like him is making a statement like this. I would also look into this matter with great care and caution and I would go into it. But even after I have said that this has not happened, the hon. Member is repeating the same thing. I would request him not to do that. Necessary precaution has been taken… (Interruptions)
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR : Sir, the point is that the Government of Karnataka is always abreast of this serious problem about the Koina dam. Therefore, it is not my personal opinion. It has been conveyed to Government of Maharashtra… (Interruptions) But they have not received anything… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: Shri Ananth Kumar, you have made your point. I have no manner of doubt that you have said what you felt was necessary. We have got the reply of the hon. Minister.
… (Interruptions)
SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL: Sir, I am sorry to say this but I thought that it would not have been difficult for Shri Ananth Kumar to understand the position who knows as to how the Government functions… (Interruptions)
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR : Sir, the hon. Minister has not mentioned anything about the places like Chamrajnagar and such other places which lie in the southern part of Karnataka. What about the losses to the plantation crops? There is a Tsunami like situation in the coastal areas of Karnataka… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: This cannot go on like this.
SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL: Sir, I have said that whatever money is required by Government of Karnataka to help the people in these districts, not only in the coastal areas but also in other parts to Karnataka, to provide them with food, to provide them with shelter and also to help agriculturists, that much of fund would be made available to them. It is for the people, the leaders from that area… (Interruptions)
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR : Sir, it was said that the CRF guidelines would be changed. This is not fair… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: Who is unfair?
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR : Sir, the Government of India is unfair… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: Discussion on this topic has gone on for 42 minutes now.
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR : Sir, it is the question of 32 lakh people in the State.
MR. SPEAKER: Therefore, I have allowed you full time. The hon. Minister has given an exhaustive reply.
SHRI ANANTH KUMAR : What about the CRF guidelines?… (Interruptions)
SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL: We are not going to change the guidelines in this fashion. You can take it from me… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: It seems the hon. Member does not need a reply. If it continues like this, then I will have to adjourn the House. We are taking up two Calling Attentions every day. But unless the hon. Members co-operate, then it would not be possible. The maximum time taken to dispose of the Calling Attention should be 20 to 25 minutes. If the Members do not co-operate, then I have to discontinue discussions under Calling Attention notices in future.