Kharge Urges PM Modi to Intervene as Karnataka Faces Severe Drought
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has written to PM Modi seeking urgent central aid for Karnataka farmers facing severe drought and crop losses.
In a significant move to address the growing agrarian crisis, Congress President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking immediate central assistance for Karnataka. The state is currently grappling with one of its most devastating drought situations in recent memory, leaving millions of farming families in deep distress.
Kharge highlighted that the lack of rainfall has led to widespread crop failures across the state. To combat the fallout, the state government has requested a total of Rs 3,705.30 crore in assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) frameworks, against estimated losses reaching a staggering Rs 18,748.23 crore.
Six Key Demands for Immediate Action
The Congress leader outlined a specific roadmap to mitigate the suffering of the rural population. His letter to the Prime Minister includes several critical requests aimed at ensuring relief reaches the right people:
- Ground Assessment: The immediate deputation of a Central team to the Kalyana Karnataka region to conduct on-the-ground damage assessments.
- Full Funding: The prompt release of the entire Rs 3,705.30 crore requested by the state government.
- Updated Land Records: A call to use Karnataka's updated Bhoomi land records to calculate input subsidies for small and marginal farmers, rather than relying on outdated 2015-16 Agriculture Census data. This is intended to prevent eligible farmers from being left out of the relief net.
- Expansion of Drought Zones: The urgent completion of drought declarations for 11 additional taluks currently undergoing ground-truthing.
- Unified Relief Event: Treating all qualifying taluks as part of a single, continuous drought event to streamline central assistance.
- Resource Security: Enhanced support for drinking water security and covering the costs of substitute power, as reservoir levels in the Cauvery and hydel catchment areas have plummeted.
A Humanitarian Imperative
Emphasizing that the crisis transcends partisan lines, Kharge stated that drought relief must be treated as a "humanitarian imperative" that rises above the political friction between the Centre and the State. He urged the Union government to provide timely support for sustenance, fodder, water, and livelihood security.
"The assistance should be released on merit and with utmost urgency, uninfluenced by political considerations," Kharge noted, pointing out that more than 31 lakh farming families across Karnataka are currently facing extreme hardship.
The Congress leader confirmed that he has also reached out to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to seek similar intervention. As of now, Karnataka has declared 177 taluks as drought-affected, with the situation continuing to evolve as more areas undergo assessment.