CM DK Shivakumar holds talks with Centre’s inter-ministerial team over drought situation, crop losses in Karnataka
CM DK Shivakumar holds crucial talks with the Centre's inter-ministerial team to discuss massive crop losses and drought relief for Karnataka farmers.
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar met with a high-level inter-ministerial team from the Central Government on Saturday to address the escalating drought crisis and severe crop damage across the state.
CM DK Shivakumar holds talks with Centre over drought and crop losses
The Central team, led by Ajit Kumar Sahu, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, arrived in the state to conduct a ground-level assessment. Their mission is to evaluate the true extent of the damage caused by deficient rainfall and the resulting hardship faced by the farming community.
High-level meeting to assess agricultural damage
The discussions involved a massive gathering of the state's top administration. Present during the meeting were Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, and the Chief Minister’s Economic Advisor LK Ateeq. Other key officials included Additional Chief Secretary Uma Mahadevan, Tushar Girinath, Ritesh Kumar Singh, and Manoj Kumar Meena.
The meeting serves as a critical step in Karnataka's push for central financial assistance to mitigate the impact of the drought on millions of livelihoods.
Kharge seeks urgent aid for distressed farmers
The crisis has also drawn intense political attention. Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, has formally written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing the situation as one of the state's most severe drought events in recent years. Kharge highlighted the massive rainfall deficiency and the widespread distress among lakhs of farming families.
Key figures in the relief demand include:
- Estimated Total Losses: Rs 18,748.23 crore.
- Requested Central Assistance: Rs 3,705.30 crore under the NDRF and SDRF frameworks.
- Target Areas: Special emphasis on assessing damage in Kalyana Karnataka.
Demands for updated land records and relief expansion
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Kharge made several specific recommendations to ensure relief reaches the right people. He urged the Centre to use Karnataka’s updated Bhoomi land records to calculate input subsidies for small and marginal farmers, rather than relying on the outdated 2015-16 Agriculture Census. He argued that the old data risks excluding many eligible farmers from receiving much-needed aid.
Furthermore, the state is currently in the process of "ground-truthing" to declare drought status in additional areas. While 177 taluks have already been declared drought-affected, the state is working to finalize declarations for 11 more taluks. The government is pushing for these qualifying areas to be treated as part of a continuous drought event to ensure seamless central assistance.