Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday sought ₹ 3,705.30 crore in drought relief from the Centre under NDRF norms, saying the difficult situation had caused distress among farmers and the general public.
Shivakumar made the demand during a meeting here with the Central Inter-Ministerial Drought Assessment Team, headed by Ajit Kumar Sahu, Joint Secretary in the Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry. “Karnataka is facing a severe drought situation, and farmers and the general public are facing great hardship. “Despite this, the Cauvery Water Management Authority is directing the release of water into the Cauvery River. Urban areas are also facing water shortages.
Provide ₹ 3,705.30 crore in drought relief to the state as per National Disaster Response Force norms,” Shivakumar urged the team, according to a press release. The state government has announced ₹ 2,500 in relief for farmers, but we are expecting greater assistance from the Centre,” Shivakumar said.
“If farmers are pushed into distress, the entire system comes to a standstill. “Farmers are facing severe hardship. Sugarcane growers are demanding higher prices, while milk producers are seeking an increase of at least ₹ 10 in the price of milk.
Therefore, the Central government must come forward to support the farmers of Karnataka,” he said.
Shivakumar said he and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara had not witnessed such hardship among people in their four decades of public life. In this challenging situation, let the Centre and the state government work together,” he said. Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and other senior officials attended the meeting, according to the press release.
