D. K. Shivakumar presents Karnataka’s drought-relief proposal to the Central team, with G. Parameshwara present. Photo supplied with the Chief Minister’s statement.
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar has renewed the state’s request for ₹3,705.30 crore in drought relief under National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms as a Central team begins a three-day assessment of conditions across the state.
At a meeting at his home office, Krishna, on Saturday, October 3, Shivakumar urged the inter-ministerial team led by Ajit Kumar Sahu, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, to help secure fair assistance for farmers and residents facing severe distress, according to the statement issued on the meeting.
Sahu said the team would tour Karnataka for three days, examine conditions on the ground and obtain data from state officials before submitting an objective report.
217 of 240 taluks declared drought-hit, Chief Minister says
Shivakumar said 217 of Karnataka’s 240 taluks had been declared drought-affected following scientific assessments under the Centre’s disaster-management guidelines. He said the declarations had been made by strictly following those rules, without yielding to pressure.
“If farmers are in distress, everything comes to a standstill,” he said, urging the Union government to support the state’s farmers.
Fresh assessment follows Parameshwara’s appeal for higher relief norms
The meeting follows Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara’s October 1 letters seeking higher drought-relief norms and a faster Central assessment. That earlier report covered a ₹7,142.64-crore request across two phases of drought declaration; the ₹3,705.30-crore request reiterated at Saturday’s meeting is the amount cited in the Chief Minister’s latest statement. Neither is an announcement of funds sanctioned by the Centre.
Shivakumar said he and Parameshwara had not seen people face such hardship in their four decades of public life. Calling the situation alarming, he said a special legislature session had been held to understand the difficulties faced by farmers and elected representatives, with 150 MLAs speaking about problems in their constituencies.
Water stress reaches cities; more Central support sought
The Chief Minister said inflows were low in reservoirs outside the Krishna basin and that Malnad and coastal areas were also experiencing a severe rainfall shortage. He said urban areas faced water problems too.
Referring to the Cauvery, Shivakumar said the authority he identified as “CWC” was continuing to direct water releases despite the shortage. He said the state had announced ₹2,500 in relief for farmers but expected greater cooperation from the Centre.
State and Centre urged to work together
Shivakumar said all state ministers had visited districts to review conditions, while officials were taking precautionary and relief measures in their departments. He said the Prime Minister had warned about the drought situation during a visit to Karnataka, after which he had instructed Cabinet colleagues and officials to prepare and farmers had been given sowing guidance.
He also pointed to demands from sugarcane growers for higher prices and from milk producers for a price increase of at least ₹10. The Central and state governments should work together in these challenging circumstances, he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara, Chief Secretary Dr. Shalini Rajneesh, the Chief Minister’s financial adviser L. K. Atheeq, Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner Dr. Uma Mahadevan, the Chief Minister’s Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Girinath, Finance Additional Chief Secretary Ritesh Kumar Singh, Revenue (Disaster Management) Principal Secretary Manoj Kumar Meena and other senior officials attended the meeting.
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