Karnataka Seeks ₹22,400 Crore in Drought Relief from Central Government

Bengaluru, November 3 (Daily Kiran) : Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara has officially requested the central government to approve and release ₹22,400.58 crore in financial aid due to the state’s alarming drought situation. He has sent letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, asking for immediate meetings to discuss the crisis in person.

On social media, Parameshwara highlighted the urgent need for intervention and financial support for farmers affected by the drought. Currently, 226 taluks in Karnataka are suffering, with approximately 57.93 lakh hectares of crops damaged, leading to an estimated economic loss of ₹62,481.88 crore. Farmers are facing an unprecedented crisis.

The Deputy Chief Minister noted that the need for drought relief has increased to ₹22,400.58 crore following amendments to the guidelines for the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). However, he emphasized that the revised assistance criteria remain insufficient compared to the actual costs of farming and the losses incurred by farmers. He urged the central government to reconsider these criteria and to accept updated agricultural records, such as Karnataka’s fruits database, for identifying eligible farmers.

Parameshwara stressed that farmers require timely and adequate support, not just minimal relief, to rebuild their livelihoods. Protecting farmers’ futures should transcend political differences, he argued, stating that it is a shared responsibility of both the central and state governments.

In his letters, Parameshwara referred to a notification from the Union Home Ministry dated October 26, which amended the compensation criteria for SDRF and NDRF for the period from 2026-27 to 2030-31. According to the revised criteria, the assistance required for crop loss under input subsidies has risen from ₹6,128.70 crore to ₹7,943.55 crore, indicating an additional need of ₹1,814.85 crore. This has resulted in the total drought relief demand increasing from ₹20,585.73 crore to ₹22,400.58 crore, with no changes to other categories in the previous memorandum.

While welcoming the amendments to the compensation criteria, Parameshwara stated that the increase in aid is still inadequate given the ongoing economic challenges faced by farmers and the escalating costs of agriculture. He noted that the intensity of weather-related disasters is also on the rise. Under the new criteria, compensation for rain-fed crops is set at ₹11,000 per hectare, ₹22,000 for irrigated crops, and ₹30,000 for perennial crops. However, he argued that these amounts fall short when compared to essential farming costs, including seeds, fertilizers, labor, and irrigation.

Parameshwara criticized the continued reliance on agricultural census data from 2015-16 to identify eligible farmers for drought relief. He contended that nearly decade-old data does not accurately reflect current landholdings and agricultural conditions, potentially leaving many small and marginal farmers without government assistance.

He urged the central government to consider utilizing Karnataka’s fruits database, which contains updated and verified information about farmers, to facilitate the identification of eligible beneficiaries. Parameshwara called for a comprehensive review of the current disaster relief system, emphasizing the need to align compensation criteria with actual farming costs, updated land records, and the protection of farmers’ livelihoods against increasing extreme weather events.

Referencing India’s goal to become a developed nation by 2047, he warned that a single failed monsoon could devastate farmers’ years of hard work, wipe out their savings, and jeopardize the future of an entire generation of farmers. He urged the Prime Minister and relevant central ministers to expedite the review of Karnataka’s revised drought relief request and to approve the necessary assistance promptly.

Parameshwara insisted that political and administrative differences should not obstruct the protection of farmers’ interests. Both the central and state governments need to collaborate in the spirit of cooperative federalism. He concluded by stating that the drought situation in Karnataka is extremely serious and requires a response from the central government that matches the gravity of the crisis, ensuring timely support reaches the farmers in need.