From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, May 16: Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said the Central team, which toured the four-drought hit districts in Karnataka, was impressed with the relief measures taken up by the State Government.
He was speaking to reporters after the team headed by Managing Director of Small Farmers’ Agri Business Consortium Parvesh Sharma interacted with Government officials including Chief Secretary S V Ranganath.
Gowda said the Central team had “appreciated” the drought relief measures taken up by the State Government.
The 12-member team toured Tumkur, Chitradurga, Kolar and Chikballapur in two batches on Monday and Tuesday and studied the drought situation in those districts.
The Chief Minister claimed that the Central team, which had visited to the State last month, too had echoed a similar opinion on the relief measures taken up by the State.
The Central team will submit its report to the Centre within the next one week.
A total of 123 taluks in 24 districts across the state had been hit by drought. The State has estimated crop loss worth Rs 5,864 crore.
An-all party delegation led by the Chief Minister called on the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on May 2 and demanded for interim relief of at least Rs. 1,500 crore to undertake relief measures in drought-hit taluks.
After his interaction with the team, Gowda claimed that the team members were particularly impressed with the supply of food grains to the people in the drought-hit areas under the public distribution system in the State.
“They were appreciative of the continuation of the mid-day meal scheme to school children in drought-hit areas and the arrangements made at Anganwadis for children,” he added.
Gowda also said the team had acknowledged the role played by self help groups to mitigate the misery of the drought-hit people.
The Chief Minister said the team had not come across any mass migration of people from drought-hit region in search of jobs due to availability of employment.
The State Government had taken adequate steps to ensure supply of drinking water through tankers in the drought-hit regions.