Karnataka will submit a memorandum to the Union government seeking drought relief for 101 taluks, with the state estimating total losses of Rs 18,000 crore, including crop damage, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwar said in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The memorandum will be submitted within a couple of days, Parameshwar said after a state Cabinet meeting. He added that more taluks could be included in the drought-hit list in the coming days as assessments continue.
According to the Deputy Chief Minister, the 101 taluks were identified using parameters prescribed by the Union government. These include satellite imagery, green cover and the duration of dry spells. “The assessment is not made manually,” Parameshwar said, defending the process used by the state government.
The state has also asked the Union government to relax the existing criteria for declaring taluks drought-affected. Parameshwar said the request had not received a response and that some areas were excluded because they did not meet the current parameters. Those taluks, he said, could be added to the list later.
The estimated loss of Rs 18,000 crore has been calculated according to guidelines of the National Disaster Response Fund, or NDRF, the Deputy Chief Minister said. The assessment includes crop losses and other impacts linked to the drought conditions.
Karnataka had estimated losses of Rs 39,000 crore during the previous year, according to Parameshwar. The state had sought Rs 18,000 crore under NDRF guidelines at that time, but the Union government did not respond to the demand, he said.
The state government subsequently approached the Supreme Court. Parameshwar said the court directed the Union government to release Rs 3,500 crore in relief, after which the amount was released.
The Deputy Chief Minister said he expected a positive response from the Union government to Karnataka’s latest request. The proposed memorandum is expected to set out the state’s assessment of drought-related losses and its demand for central assistance.
Parameshwar also said the government would request the Union government to consider waiving farm loans amid the current distress. He said the state would “explore the possibilities” while taking into account Karnataka’s financial position.
Referring to earlier loan-waiver decisions, he cited the Rs 72,000 crore farm-loan waiver announced by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a period of rainfall deficit. He also referred to farm-loan waivers announced in Karnataka during Siddaramaiah’s tenure as Chief Minister and during a Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government.
The memorandum on the 101 drought-hit taluks is scheduled to be submitted to the Union government within the next couple of days, while the state continues to assess whether additional taluks should be included.
