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.
The figures were presented to a Central drought assessment team led by Ajit Kumar Sahu, joint secretary in the Union agriculture ministry, which has begun a four day inspection of drought affected areas. “We must fulfil our responsibility. We declared drought and submitted memoranda by following the Union Government’s own guidelines. We will neither assume beforehand that relief will be denied nor prejudge the Centre’s decision. The appeal comes as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has separately asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the drought situation.
The team has been split into three groups to visit North Karnataka, Central Karnataka and other parts of the state, with field assessments continuing until October 6. In a letter to Modi, Kharge said Karnataka had recorded a 58% rainfall deficiency as of September and that all 31 districts had been affected.
Parameshwara said Karnataka had confined its demand to what is allowed under the Centre’s drought relief guidelines and had not sought additional assistance outside those norms. We are asking only for the relief that Karnataka is legally entitled to under the prescribed norms,” he said.
Parameshwara said water was being conserved in reservoirs for drinking purposes rather than released for irrigation. “If we had sought additional funds outside the prescribed norms, there could have been grounds for rejection. The government has also undertaken works generating about 1.27 lakh person days of employment in drought affected areas.
But the State has assessed its losses and sought relief strictly in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Union Government,” he said. “We hope such a situation will not arise and that the Union Government will provide Karnataka the relief it is entitled to,” he said.
