BENGALURU: AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally intervene in Karnataka’s severe drought situation and sought the release of Rs 3,705.30 crore in assistance under the NDRF and SDRF framework.
In a detailed letter to Modi, which he also posted on 'X', Kharge said Karnataka was facing one of its gravest drought situations in recent years, with a 58 per cent rainfall deficiency as of September, widespread crop losses and severe distress among lakhs of farming families.
The state has sought Rs 3,705.30 crore in assistance against estimated losses of Rs 18,748.23 crore, he said.
Kharge made six specific requests, including immediate deputation of a Central team to Kalyana Karnataka to assess the drought damage on the ground and sanction of the entire amount sought by the state without arbitrary reduction.
He also urged the Centre to calculate input subsidy for small and marginal farmers using Karnataka’s updated Bhoomi land records instead of the outdated 2015-16 Agriculture Census, so that eligible farmers were not excluded from relief.
Kharge sought urgent completion of the drought declaration process, including the 11 additional taluks currently undergoing ground-truthing and any other areas found to qualify, treating them as part of the same continuing drought event for Central assistance.
He also sought enhanced Central support for drinking-water security and the cost of substitute power, particularly in view of historically low reservoir levels in the Cauvery and hydel catchments.
Assistance, he said, should be released to Karnataka on merit and with utmost urgency, uninfluenced by political considerations, considering the distress faced by more than 31 lakh farming families across the state.
“Drought relief is a humanitarian imperative and must rise above political differences between the Centre and the State,” Kharge said, urging Modi to act with urgency and compassion and provide much-needed sustenance, fodder, water and livelihood security to millions of affected citizens.
Kharge said he had also written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking similar intervention.
