BENGALURU: Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar B Khandre on Monday said that 178 taluks in the state are facing deficit rainfall, with severe deficiency in 60 taluks. He also directed the officials to intensify works under the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) to provide employment in rural areas.
Khandre said that the State Government has set a target of generating 1.25 crore person-days of employment every month under the VB-G RAM G scheme to ensure livelihoods in villages and prevent distress migration amid poor monsoon.
He said that the government has prioritised drinking water supply and rural employment to prevent migration from villages. He said the government has released Rs 117 crore in advance to tackle potential drinking water shortage in rural areas. He said district authorities have been authorised to hire private borewells and open wells and supply water through tankers wherever drinking water sources have dried up. “In extreme cases, permission has also been granted to drill new borewells,’’ he said.
Further, he said the government is also preparing contingency plans to ensure adequate drinking water until the next monsoon if the rainfall condition does not improve over the next three to four months.
He urged farmers to enrol under the crop insurance scheme, stating that even farmers with outstanding bank loans and those who have settled loans through one-time settlement schemes can now pay insurance premiums at Common Service Centres.
Khandre said Karnataka has implemented VB-GRAM G from July 1 despite the Centre revising the funding ratio from 90:10 to 60:40, increasing the state’s financial burden. He said 5 lakh person-days of employment have already been generated under the scheme so far, with all applicants seeking work through GPs.
The scheme permits 318 categories of works, including repair and maintenance of school buildings, health centres and other government infrastructure, construction of farm ponds, distributary canals, drip irrigation facilities and mini forests. Gram panchayats have also been allowed to submit additional action plans through the online portal. He said the government aims to generate 10 lakh person-days of employment by the end of July.
He added that Rs 2,900 crore has been released during the first quarter to support implementation of the scheme, expressing confidence that rural Karnataka would not face an employment crisis. He further said every rural job card holder would be eligible for 125 days of employment under the scheme.
