With the Centre releasing the much-awaited financial assistance to tackle drought in Karnataka, Revenue Minister V. Srinivas Prasad said farmers suffering crop loss would receive compensation by January 25.
He said at a press conference here on Tuesday that the Centre had released Rs. 1,540.20 crore against the Rs. 2,278.17 crore sought by the State Government.
While the farmers will be compensated for 68 per cent of the crop loss they had suffered, the other drought relief activities including providing drinking water and fodder will also receive a further push, he said.
The Central aid was the highest ever, claimed Mr. Prasad. recalling that the previous highest was Rs. 1,400 crore released in 2009 during the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s tenure.
In addition to the amount released by the Centre, the State Government had released Rs. 300 crore. Hence, the total drought relief works in the State will amount to Rs. 1,850 crore, he said and added that the officials have been instructed to spare no efforts in the relief activities.
As many as 28 lakh hectares across 136 taluks of the State had suffered drought last year. The Cabinet sub-committee headed by Mr. Prasad, which had been constituted by the State Government, had held nine meetings across all the four divisions of the State before submitting a memorandum to the Centre.
Claiming that Karnataka was the first State to submit a memorandum to the Centre seeking aid for drought after which a Central team arrived in the State and carried out a study, Mr. Prasad said Karnataka had sought relief under the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) norms.
Belagavi district had been allocated the highest amount of Rs. 220 crore followed by Kalaburagi and Vijayapura districts, which had been sanctioned Rs. 202 crore and Rs. 113 crore respectively.
