Dasara will be symbolic; no procession

BANGALORE: Dasara celebrations this year will be a symbolic affair with the cancellation of even the traditional ``jambu savari'''' procession on the last day of the Navarathri festival.
Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting, Information Minister Kagodu Thimmappa said except for the traditional pooja of Goddess Chamundeshwari on the opening day, there will be no usual fanfare, pomp, splendour and illumination due to the severe drought prevailing in the state.``The state government will be saving Rs 80 lakh by these measures which will be utilised for drought relief work,'''' he added.
He said Chief Minister S.M. Krishna has appealed to all legislators and MPs to donate Rs 10 lakh each from their constituency development fund to each taluk for drinking water purpose.
The Centre has released 2 lakh tonnes of foodgrains which will be used for food-for-work programme. Another Rs 100 crore is required as cash component to take up the drought relief measures. The government has constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of Development Commissioner to scale down budgetary allocations of some departments to augment resources.
Other decisions of the cabinet:
Provision of 5 per cent reservation in employment for those who have studied in Kannada medium from first to tenth standard is applicable to outside and border Kannadigas also.
Programme of the construction of hospitals in Hyderabad-Karnataka region with the assistance of German aid at the cost of Rs 51.60 has been extended upto December 2003 and the cost has been increased to Rs 63 crore.
The Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam (KBJL) will raise Rs 200 crore loan by floating bonds during the year 2002-2003 for which government will give guarantee of one per cent.