G. Parameshwara briefs the media on Karnataka’s drought situation. Photo: Supplied
Bengaluru: Karnataka has revised its drought-relief requirement from ₹20,585.73 crore to ₹22,400.58 crore after the Centre changed disaster-assistance norms, Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara said on Tuesday. He has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, seeking appointments and early release of central assistance.
In letters dated November 2, Parameshwara said 226 taluks in the state are affected, with crops on 57.93 lakh hectares damaged and estimated economic losses of ₹62,481.88 crore.
Revised requirement
- The Union Home Ministry’s notification of October 26, 2026 revised assistance norms under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for 2026–27 to 2030–31.
- Karnataka’s requirement for crop-loss input subsidy rose from ₹6,128.70 crore to ₹7,943.55 crore, an increase of ₹1,814.85 crore.
- The state’s total requirement went up accordingly, with all other components of its earlier memorandum unchanged.
Rates called inadequate
Parameshwara welcomed the Centre’s decision to revise the norms but said the increase was modest compared with rising cultivation costs. He said the revised rates of ₹11,000 per hectare for rainfed crops, ₹22,000 for irrigated crops and ₹30,000 for perennial crops fall short of farmers’ actual spending on seeds, fertiliser, labour and irrigation.
“Our farmers cannot be expected to confront the economic realities of 2026 with a relief framework that does not adequately recognise the true cost of cultivation and the magnitude of their losses,” he wrote.
Data and eligibility
He questioned the continued use of the Agriculture Census 2015–16 to decide eligibility, saying decade-old landholding data does not reflect present realities and could leave out eligible small and marginal farmers. He urged the Centre to consider Karnataka’s FRUITS database as a more current and verified basis for identifying beneficiaries.
Parameshwara called for a comprehensive review of the disaster-assistance framework to take in realistic cultivation costs, updated landholding records and stronger livelihood protection.
Appeal to the Centre
He asked the Prime Minister and the two Union ministers to take on record the state’s revised requirement of ₹22,400.58 crore, expedite appraisal of the claim and release admissible funds early, and called for cooperation between the Union and state governments in the spirit of cooperative federalism.
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