BENGALURU: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday said his government will ensure that a comprehensive and authentic ground report on the drought situation reaches the Centre before the central team arrives for its own assessment. He said officials were asked to visit fields before filing their reports.
“I have told officials I don’t want only paper reports. Your own eyes should be your evidence. Every official must visit farms in their respective taluks and submit reports based on the actual ground conditions within the next 15 days,” he said.
“I have to submit a report on the drought situation to the Central government. When the Centre’s team visits for an assessment, we should have all the necessary information ready, and provide accurate data,” he told the media after the cabinet meeting.
“I have already requested the Prime Minister to send a Central team to assess the drought situation. Parliament will also begin shortly, and I will brief our Members of Parliament about the ground reality,” he added.
He claimed to have held a four-hour special meeting to review the drought situation, and directed officials to remain in their headquarters. The government plans to utilize alternative schemes to keep villagers employed during this period.
He appealed to farmers not to sow crops, assuming that water will be released later. “Hydropower reservoirs have 23 per cent storage. In the Cauvery basin, storage levels are also low, while the Krishna basin reservoirs stand at around 48 per cent. Of 3,817 minor irrigation tanks, 3,235 have less than 50 per cent storage,” he said.
Start VB-G work to stop migration: DCM
Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara expressed concern over the slow implementation of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), stating that work has not begun in most parts of Karnataka despite worsening drought conditions. Reviewing the drought situation, Parameshwara, who also holds the revenue portfolio, said 2,443 of the state’s nearly 5,000 gram panchayats are yet to start work under the employment scheme, with only four or five districts making progress. He directed all Zilla Panchayat CEOs to immediately commence the work to curb distress migration from districts such as Ballari, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Yadgir and Vijayanagara. Parameshwara said Karnataka has recorded a 68 per cent rainfall deficit, while groundwater levels have fallen by around four metres in 88 taluks. Reservoir levels are declining rapidly and the number of villages dependent on tanker water supply is increasing.
Document all VB-G work: CM
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said amid the state’s continuing agitation against the Centre’s VB-G RAM G, the state has prepared to bear 40 per cent of its share. “The Centre has approved several schemes and informed us about works that can be taken up. As far as possible, we should focus on community development, infrastructure works and certain individual beneficiary schemes. Every work must be properly documented with all supporting records. Officials should be extremely careful and leave no loopholes,” he warned. He stressed that the state’s priority is to ensure that people do not migrate to other states in search of work. “They should be provided employment locally,” Shivakumar said. ENS
Rahul Gandhi to visit soon
The CM said LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit Karnataka soon and address students, besides performing the bhoomi puja (foundation stone laying) for the new Congress office in Bengaluru.
