BJP protests exclusion of Kalaburagi from drought-hit list
‘Declare drought within eight days or face Kalaburagi bandh’
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will protest the exclusion of Kalaburagi district from the drought-affected areas list in Karnataka. Party leaders Rajkumar Patil Telkur and Umesh Jadhav alleged that officials had not conducted a thorough ground assessment and prepared an erroneous report. They accused three Ministers from Kalaburagi district of prioritizing their own political goals over addressing farmers' distress.
Telkur questioned the inclusion of rainfall received between January and May in the overall rainfall deficit calculation, despite substantial deficits between June and August. According to Agriculture Department data, the district received only 352.4 mm of rainfall against the normal 438.2 mm, with a deficit of 36% in August. Telkur cited National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) norms, stating that action should be taken when rainfall deficiency exceeds 30%.
He also disputed the claim that 86% of the targeted area had been sown, asserting that farmers had actually sown crops on less than 50% of the targeted area. The BJP threatened a 'Kalaburagi bandh' if the district is not declared drought-hit within eight days.
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