Karnataka CM seeks Rs 7,142.64 crore drought relief from Government

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday urged the Centre to provide Rs 7,142.64 crore as drought relief to the state, as farmers and the general public were facing severe hardship.

Earlier, the government sought Rs 3,705.30 crore as drought relief from the Centre under National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms.

The revised demand of Rs 7,142.64 crore follows the declaration of 177 taluks as drought-affected, with losses estimated at Rs 46,324.50 crore, the CMO said in a statement. “If farmers suffer, everything comes to a standstill. Therefore, the central government should come to the aid of the state’s farmers,” Shivakumar said, while holding discussions with a Central Inter-Ministerial team led by Ajit Kumar Sahu, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

The statement said that of the state’s 240 taluks, 217 have been identified as drought-affected, while 177 have been officially declared drought-hit.

The Government said the taluks were identified through a scientific assessment and in accordance with the Centre’s disaster-management guidelines.

Shivakumar said he and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara had not witnessed such hardship among people in their four decades of public life. He said a special legislative session was convened to understand the problems faced by elected representatives and farmers, with around 150 MLAs raising issues concerning their constituencies.

Shivakumar said water inflows into reservoirs across the state, barring those in the Krishna basin, were low, while the Malnad and coastal regions were also facing a severe rainfall deficit. Urban areas too were facing water shortages, he said.

The CM said the state government had announced Rs 2,500 in relief for farmers but was expecting greater assistance from the Centre, according to the statement.

“Farmers are facing severe hardship. Sugarcane growers are demanding better prices, while milk producers are seeking an increase of at least Rs 10 in procurement price.

In this challenging situation, let the Centre and the state work together,” he said.

Shivakumar said state ministers had visited districts to assess the ground situation, while officials had taken precautionary and relief measures.

Farmers had also been advised on sowing decisions based on the prevailing conditions.

Responding to the chief minister’s appeal, Sahu assured that the Central team would tour Karnataka for three days, assess the ground situation and collect data from state officials before submitting an objective report.

Parameshwara, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and other senior officials attended the meeting.