BENGALURU: The state government is taking more time to announce drought-hit taluks. The cabinet decided to wait for another week, as the ground survey is still going on in many taluks, and clarity is expected by next week after the complete report is submitted, Law Minister HK Patil said.
After the meeting, Patil said they had long discussions on the drought situation in Karnataka, but are waiting for the ground survey to be completed.
“We will place the report before the cabinet,” he said.
He added that CM Siddaramiah had written to the Centre to revise the parameters.
Before 2016-17, a 20 per cent deficit in rainfall would be considered drought. This was changed to more than 60 per cent rain deficit, and three continuous weeks of a dry spell.
“We have urged them to remove this parameter which is not scientific, and are hoping to get a positive response from the Centre,” he said.
School uniform
The Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation had given a contract to private vendors to supply 134.05 lakh metres of cloth, worth Rs 96.92 crore. Patil said that 90 per cent of the uniforms are said to be sub-standard, though money was paid in full. The Cabinet approved a probe into the sub-standard cloth supply for school uniforms.
Other cabinet decisions