K’taka seeks ₹7.5k-crore for drought losses: Dy CM
Karnataka has estimated losses of about ₹46,000 crore from the first two phases of its drought and is seeking around ₹7,500 crore from the Centre under its prescribed relief norms, Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G Parameshwara said on Sunday.
Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, G Parameshwara, informed a Central drought assessment team on Sunday that the state has estimated losses of approximately ₹46,000 crore from the first two phases of the drought. Seeking relief under the prescribed norms, Karnataka is requesting around ₹7,500 crore from the central government. The assessment team, led by Ajit Kumar Sahu from the Union agriculture ministry, is conducting a four-day inspection of drought-affected areas, split into three groups for North, Central, and other regions of the state.
The inspection will continue until October 6. The state has already declared drought in 217 of its 240 taluks, with an additional 40 taluks added on October 1. Karnataka has confined its relief demand to what is permitted under the central government's drought relief guidelines, refraining from seeking additional funds outside those norms.
Parameshwara urged the central team to assess the damage based on the four months of deficient rainfall, rather than recent showers altering the assessment. He emphasized the significant crop loss, with around 82% of crops damaged, and noted that the recent rainfall offers little benefit to the affected areas. The state reported that about 49 lakh farmers have enrolled for crop insurance, and the government has undertaken works generating about 1.27 lakh person days of employment in drought-affected areas.
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