Twenty-five more Karnataka taluks may be declared drought-hit
Bengaluru, Sep 8 (PTI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said 25 more taluks have qualified to be declared drought-hit in the second phase of assessment and will be notified shortly.
The assessment of drought conditions in the state is being carried out in phases, with 101 taluks already declared drought-hit in the first phase, he said.
Speaking to reporters here, Parameshwara, who also holds the Revenue portfolio, said there was no delay in declaring drought-hit areas and the assessment would continue as long as there was a shortfall in both monsoon and post-monsoon rainfall.
"Last time, nearly 200 taluks were declared drought-hit. This year too, there is a possibility that more than 200 taluks may eventually be declared drought-hit," he said.
"The assessment of drought conditions in the state is still underway and is being carried out in phases. In the first phase, 101 taluks have already been declared drought-hit. The second phase of assessment is now in progress, and 25 more taluks have qualified to be declared drought-hit. They will be notified shortly," Parameshwara said.
Except for the coastal region, drought conditions prevailed across most parts of the state, he added.
Responding to allegations by some legislators that their taluks had been deliberately excluded from the drought-hit list despite severe drought conditions, the Deputy CM said there was no basis for such claims.
"The entire state is facing drought today. No individual in the state government has any role in deciding which taluks are declared drought-hit. The allegation that certain taluks have been deliberately excluded is baseless. Drought does not occur based on political affiliation," he said.
He pointed out that the existing list also included taluks represented by Opposition legislators.
Parameshwara said the state government had to follow the prescribed procedure to be eligible to seek drought relief from the Centre.
"Drought-hit areas are declared in accordance with the union government's guidelines. The state government cannot simply take an independent decision and make such declarations. Satellite-based imagery is examined, ground truthing is carried out, and the declaration is made only after a scientific assessment," he said.
On reports of differences within the AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) grouping's leadership following the absence of Ministers Satish Jarkiholi and H C Mahadevappa from a recent felicitation programme organised for former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah by the Karnataka State Federation of Backward Classes, the Deputy CM said the event was not an AHINDA convention.
"There is no division among us, and the AHINDA leadership has not split into different camps," he said.
On former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's letter concerning the NICE or BMIC project issue, Parameshwara rejected allegations that several ministers in the Cabinet stood to benefit at the expense of farmers who had lost their land.
He said the state government's decision to allot 1,453 sites was taken in accordance with the Supreme Court's order and on humanitarian grounds.
"The decision to allot 1,453 sites was taken to ensure justice to farmers who had parted with land now worth hundreds of crores for just a few lakhs. There is no intention to provide any personal benefit to anyone in this matter," he said.
JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda, in an open letter addressed to Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, has questioned the Cabinet's recent decision to allot 1,453 sites to those who lost their land for the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project.
Regarding the Karnataka State Cooperative Apex Bank election, Parameshwara said senior Congress MLA and former Minister K N Rajanna was an aspirant for the post of president.
"Since we are from the same district, we met and discussed the matter. Under the leadership of the chief minister, all the directors will be called for a discussion and a decision will be taken," he said.
