With the release of ₹1,712.1 crore for drought-hit Karnataka from the Centre’s National Disaster Response Fund, about 10 lakh farmers will receive compensation for crop loss during monsoon and rabi seasons during 2016-17.
So far, ₹671 crore compensation had been released to 1.21 lakh farmers by the State government. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T.B. Jayachandra told presspersons that compensation would be paid through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) to about 10 lakh farmers in the next 10 days. Deputy Commissioners and Agriculture Department officials have been instructed to verify the Aadhaar numbers and bank accounts of farmers, he said.
Compensation of ₹18,000 would be paid per hectare on irrigated lands, ₹13,500 per hectare in rainfed areas, and ₹6,800 per hectare in drought-prone area.
The State government had sought ₹4,702 crore, the Centre had released only ₹1,712.1 crore, Mr. Jayachandra. The Centre had not released funds for drinking water and purchase of fodder for domestic animals, he said.
The Minister said ₹200 crore would be released to tackle drinking water problems in drought-hit taluks of the State with severity of summer more in Hassan, Tumakuru and Chitradurga districts. More than 600 private borewells had been hired by Deputy Commissioners.
Request to Centre
With the mandi prices of toor dal ruling below the minimum support price (MSP) of ₹5,050 per quintal in Kalaburagi, Bidar and Raichur, the Centre has been urged to extend the kharif MSP operations till May-end. The State government provides an additional ₹450 a quintal, said Minister T.B. Jayachandra, who heads the Cabinet sub-committee on commodity prices.
