Layouts to be named after donors contributing Rs 10 cr plus, not villages: Yediyurappa

Faced with criticism in some quarters over his government's offer to rename flood-hit villages after donors who contribute more than Rs ten crore for relief works, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday said only new layouts would be rechristened.

"Clarification: Chief Minister had announced that donorscontributing more than Rs 10 crore will have the layouts namedafter them, not the villages," he tweeted.

The Chief Minister's announcement on Wednesday at a meeting with industrialists and corporates in the wake of lastfortnight's rain fury that left 62 people dead, that villageswould be renamed after companies if they give more than Rs 10 crore had surprised some people.

The JD(S), headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, hadtermed the proposed move to rename villages as a "Tughlaq"decision.

"... Please don't make people who have lost everything inthe floods to lose the name of their village," the party had said. "Do not put Karnataka up for sale".