Govt To Include 10-15 More Taluks In Drought-Hit List Soon

Deputy CM and Revenue Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Wednesday said the Karnataka government will add another 10 to 15 taluks to the drought-hit list shortly.

He was speaking to media persons after inspecting drought-hit tur crops at Halakundi village in Ballari taluk.

“Already, 216 taluks have been declared drought-hit. Field-level assessment is under way in 23 taluks that have not yet been declared drought-hit, and the government will include another 10 to 15 of them in the list shortly,” he said.

Dr Parameshwara said that except for 10 to 15 taluks in the coastal belt, almost the entire state was facing severe drought.

He said instructions had been issued to cooperative and nationalised banks to defer recovery of farmers’ loans for one year.

Appealing to farmers not to take extreme steps such as suicide, he said the government would stand by them and drought-relief measures were its top priority.

He also said poor and farmer families were receiving annual financial assistance through the government’s five guarantee schemes and electricity subsidy.

Speaking about the shortage of drinking water, the DCM said the government had released Rs 306 crore in special funds for each Assembly constituency to tackle the situation. Deputy commissioners had also been instructed to utilise funds available in their accounts for emergency relief measures.

“For immediate assistance to farmers, the state government had ordered the release of Rs 2,500 for each farmer as the first instalment of drought relief. The amount would be paid to farmers shortly,” he said.

During his visit to the district, he interacted with farmers and gathered information about crop losses and the problems they were facing.

He also visited B Belagal village and inspected fields where tur and pearl millet crops had been damaged due to deficient rainfall. While the tur crop had remained stunted due to inadequate rainfall, the pearl millet crop had dried up completely.

Senior officials led by Deputy Commissioner Nagendra Prasad K were present.

Dr Parameshwara also visited various places in Vijayanagara district.

Speaking to media persons there, he said Rs 329 crore had been kept in the PD accounts of deputy commissioners, while Rs 25 crore had been released for the management and supply of fodder for livestock.

Deputy commissioners had been given full authority to open goshalas (cattle shelters) and fodder banks wherever necessary, he said.

District in-charge minister KS Basavanthappa, Deputy Commissioner Kavitha S Mannikeri and others were present.