The Karnataka government has assured farmers that errors and delays in drought relief payments will be corrected, after some beneficiaries received ₹1,500 or ₹2,000 instead of the announced first instalment of ₹2,500. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said no eligible farmer should be concerned and that outstanding amounts would be paid after account-related problems are resolved.
The assurance followed criticism from BJP leaders over cases in Yadgir district, where farmers received amounts lower than the government’s stated first instalment. Shivakumar said the government would pay ₹5,000 to every eligible farmer in two instalments and that the first instalment had already reached many beneficiaries.
He said a payment formula had been prepared to transfer a fixed amount to each eligible farmer. However, some bank accounts were found to have problems, including records linked to loan accounts. These details would be checked before the pending relief amount was released, he said.
Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, who also holds the Revenue portfolio, attributed some of the payment differences to an apparent calculation error during direct benefit transfers. Officials appeared to have calculated relief on an acre basis instead of a hectare basis in some cases, he said, adding that instructions had been issued to correct the mistake.
Parameshwara said confusion had emerged after the relief was initially described as an amount payable per acre before the calculation was subsequently clarified. He said officials had also incorrectly understood the National Disaster Response Fund guidelines, which require a minimum calculation of ₹1,500 per hectare for eligible cases. The government has directed officials to follow the hectare-based calculation, according to his statement.
The first phase is intended to provide ₹2,500 each to approximately 50 lakh farmer families, requiring an estimated ₹1,250 crore. A similar amount is expected to be provided in the second phase. Together, the two instalments would provide ₹5,000 to a farmer family, subject to eligibility under the NDRF guidelines.
Parameshwara cautioned that some applicants could be found ineligible during the process. He said the payment discrepancy would be corrected once the Finance Department grants approval. The government is also examining whether the second instalment could include the pending amount, resulting in payments of ₹3,000 or ₹3,500 for some farmers who have already received a lower first payment.
The relief distribution process was first started on a trial basis in Yadgir district and is now being extended to all districts, Parameshwara said. The government’s next steps are to verify affected bank-account records, secure the required financial approval and correct payments for eligible farmers.
