Karnataka farmers affected by drought may get more financial relief before Deepavali, as the state government is said to have increased the minimum amount of drought relief from ₹2500 to ₹5000 per eligible farmer. The announcement is expected to give some respite to farmers who are reeling under crop loss and financial crunch.
The government will double the announced assistance by adding another ₹2,500 from its own resources (the first instalment of ₹2,500 had already been announced as immediate input subsidy assistance for drought-affected farmers).
The report said Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had initiated the latest payment by transferring assistance through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to farmers’ bank accounts in Yadgir district. The remaining ₹2,500 will be released after Deepavali.
Drought Relief Amount Increased from ₹2,500 to ₹5,000
At the time, the Karnataka government announced an input subsidy of ₹2,500 per eligible farmer from SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund) while waiting for the Centre’s financial assistance.
However, it was argued that the initial amount would provide little support to small and marginal farmers whose crops suffered heavy losses.
According to the report supplied by the state government, it has now decided to give an additional ₹2500 from its own money so that the minimum assistance per eligible farmer reported in the supply would be ₹5000.
The payment is being made through DBT so that the assistance can be credited directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts. Farmers will get the second instalment after the Deepavali festival.
Relief Is Per Farmer, Not Per Acre
One important point of clarification is how the assistance will be calculated.
Speaking on compensation, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara reportedly said that the assistance announced is meant for each eligible farmer and not per acre.
This means a farmer who owns more than two acres of agricultural land would not automatically get more money because he has more landholding. Under the proposed arrangement, total input subsidy per eligible farmer would be ₹5000 as reported.
Clarification is needed by farmers who want to know how the relief amount will be calculated and credited.
Karnataka Faces Widespread Crop Losses
Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said this while addressing an official programme at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Thursday. Drought situation in Karnataka is very serious, he said.
He reportedly said the state had never seen such severe drought conditions in his years of experience. As per figures quoted by the report crop damage has affected around 57 lakh hectares across Karnataka.
The government has declared 226 taluks drought-affected under the central guidelines. Economic loss due to drought has reportedly touched ₹62,000 crore according to a report in The Hindu newspaper.
The state government has also sought financial aid of ₹22,400 crore from the Centre to deal with the situation and provide relief to farmers affected by it.
Farmers Await Additional Assistance
The drought has serious impacts on farming households (those who depend on rainfall for cultivation). Crop damage has reduced farm incomes, and the rising cost of agricultural inputs has increased financial pressure.
The reported increase from ₹2,500 to ₹5,000 should give some immediate relief to eligible farmers, but the timing of the second instalment and the final list of beneficiaries will be important for households who are waiting for money.
Farmers should check eligibility and bank account details through government channels; land and beneficiary records should be correctly registered in the state’s agricultural databases.
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