Bangalore: Karnataka to Demand Rs 4,500 Cr Central Aid to Tackle Drought

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Apr 19: Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who decided to cancel his scheduled foreign visit in view of the severe drought situation affecting more than half the State with 123 of the 176 taluks reeling under scarcity conditions, has now taken some tough decisions which affect all elected representatives in the State and the lakhs of Government employees in the State.

But first the hard news: The Chief Minister, who has been continuously touring the drought affected districts since the last few days, convened an all-party meeting to take stock of the situation and arrive at a political consensus on the measures to be taken to tackle the drought situation in the State.

The most important decision taken at the all-party meeting was to lead an all-party delegation to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Union Finance Minister Pranab Kumar Mukherjee, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and other Central leaders soon and submit a revised memoranda seeking urgent Central assistance of Rs 4,500 crore under the Natural Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) for implementing relief works and payment of compensation for crop loss.

''I hope the Centre will release at least 50 per cent of the funds we demanded,” Sadananda Gowda told reporters after the meeting.

The delegation would be taken to the national capital by April end.

The State Government had in its earlier memoranda submitted to the Centre sought Rs 2605 crore from the NCCF.

The all-party meeting, which was held in the Vidhana Soudha under the chairmanship of Sadananda Gowda, lasted for over five hours with leaders of all political parties expressing their views on the situation.

To show solidarity with the sufferings of the drought affected people, the all-party meeting asked the State Government to bar ministers, elected representatives and officials from taking foreign trips in the next two months.

In addition, the annual mass transfer of government officials will be banned in the next two months, the Chief Minister said, adding: Officials would be transferred only on need basis.

A circular would be issued soon, the Chief Minister said for barring elected representatives, ministers and officials from going to foreign tours.

Officials have been asked to give more attention on implementing drought relief measures, he said.

The Centre has released Rs 186 crore so far and Rs 70.23 crore has been released to the State Calamity Relief Fund. A sum of Rs 172.46 crore has been released for drinking water purposes.

Congress Opposition leader in the State Assembly Siddaramaiah, State Congress President G Parameshwara, State JD(S) president H D Kumaraswamy, MP, and party floor leader in the Assembly H D Revanna, Kodihalli Chandrashekar, farmer leader, CPI (M) leader G N Nagaraja attended meeting.

The Chief Minister, who visited drought hit taluks during the last two days, said a decision on waiver of crop loans or interest on crop loans would be only taken after holding discussion with Central Government.

He, however, felt the drought situation in the State was not as bad as it was during 1972-73 and 1983-84 when Karnataka faced the worst-ever droughts in recent years.

''But the State Government would not spare any efforts in mitigating the sufferings of the people,” he said.

Sadananda Gowda said he was satisfied with the pace of relief works taken up in taluks.

Adequate stock of seeds and fertilizers has been maintained to distribute to farmers during the monsoon.

Following crash in prices of turmeric, Rs 3 crore has been released to Chamarajangar and Rs 1 crore to Mysore for procurement of the commodity from growers at Rs 5,000 per quintal.

A proposal would be submitted seeking to fix minimum support price for pomegranate, arecanut and potato, he said, adding: ''We will decide the Government’s future course of action after meeting the Central leaders.”