Cabinet expansion tomorrow or Monday: CM

New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has said that the State Cabinet expansion may take place either on Sunday or Monday.

Speaking to press persons here this morning, Yediyurappa said that he will be meeting BJP National President and Union Home Minister Amit Shah this evening to finalise cabinet expansion.

Replying to Congress allegations that the Centre was ignoring Karnataka in release of flood relief funds, the CM said that the allegations were baseless.

Maintaining that the State Government had taken up rescue and rehabilitation works on a war-footing, he said that there was no dearth of funds and donations was pouring in from across the State in the form of cash and kind. The State Government Employees Association has promised Rs. 200 crore to the CM’s Flood Relief Fund and several other associations and organisations too have assured of help, he pointed out.

Terming the State Congress allegations that the Centre is yet to release any relief funds so far as ‘childish’, Yediyurappa said that the Prime Minister has promised to send a central team to assess the extent of havoc caused and it may take about a week for the Centre to release funds.

When asked about the quantum of funds to be released by the Centre, Yediyurappa merely said that funds will be released based on the central team’s report and he cannot specify the amount to be released by the Centre right now.

Replying to another query on whether high alert has been declared in the State, he said that based on the Centre’s Intelligence inputs, high alert has been declared in the State since last evening as a precautionary measure against any terror strike.