Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara has urged the Centre to provide urgent financial assistance to drought-hit farmers, citing crop losses estimated at ₹62,481.88 crore across the state.
In separate letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Parameshwara sought a review of the existing drought-relief norms and early release of assistance.
He said 226 taluks had been affected by drought, with crop damage reported across 57.93 lakh hectares. Following the revision of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms, Karnataka’s estimated relief requirement had increased to ₹22,400.58 crore.
However, he said the revised assistance norms were inadequate when compared with actual cultivation costs and the scale of losses suffered by farmers.
Parameshwara urged the Centre to revise the norms, consider updated agricultural records such as Karnataka’s FRUITS database and expedite approval and release of funds.
He has also sought appointments with the Prime Minister and the two Union ministers to present the state’s case in person.
He said farmers needed timely and meaningful assistance to recover from the losses and rebuild their livelihoods, adding that protecting their future was a shared responsibility beyond political differences.
