Bengaluru: Opposition members in Karnataka Legislative Council walked out on Wednesday, September 23, protesting the state government's Rs 2,500 drought aid for farmers. Opposition leaders said the money was not enough and accused the government of providing farmers with “pickle” when they needed a full meal.
The protest came during the Karnataka Legislature’s special session on the worsening drought situation in the state. The government has announced an interim input subsidy of Rs 2,500 per farmer while waiting for financial help from the Centre under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
The assistance will benefit approximately 45 lakh to 50 lakh drought-hit farmers and cost around Rs 1,250 crore. The assistance will be provided in a timely manner while it seeks additional support from the Centre.
Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, demanded that the government increase the assistance considerably. He suggested adding a zero to the announced amount and raising it from Rs 2,500 to Rs 25,000.
Narayanaswamy also suggested that the government could provide Rs 10,000 as the first instalment and seek additional funds from the Centre for the remaining compensation.
BJP demands higher compensation and farm loan waiver
BJP members also questioned the scale of the government's response to the drought.
BJP MLC Keshav Prasad referred to the State government's announcement of Rs 1,250 crore for drought compensation and demanded a white paper on Karnataka’s financial position. He questioned how the government could describe the state's fiscal health as strong while announcing what the Opposition considers limited assistance for farmers.
The Opposition has also raised the issue of farm loan waivers. BJP and JD(S) legislators have called for waiver of agricultural loans, with some leaders demanding relief of up to Rs 2 lakh per farmer. BJP state president B Y Vijayendra also demanded that farm loans of up to Rs 5 lakh be waived and compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre for drought-hit farmers.
The debate is amid an ongoing drought situation in Karnataka. 177 of the state’s 240 taluks have been declared drought-hit, Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G Parameshwara said yesterday. The government has preliminarily estimated crop and related losses at around Rs 40,000 crore.
Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for financial assistance. The state had also submitted a drought memorandum seeking Rs 3,705.30 crore in Central assistance for immediate relief measures. Shivakumar later asked for 50% of that amount as interim assistance.
Government Seeks Centre's Support
Shivakumar, responding to the Opposition, asked opposition leaders to help the state secure funds from the Union Government.
The Chief Minister said if more assistance was available, Karnataka would be willing to work out a cost-sharing arrangement with the Centre if it could be provided. During the debate, he touched on 50:50, 60:40 or 70:30 funding arrangements and encouraged cooperation instead of confrontation.
The government has maintained that the Rs 2,500 assistance is an interim measure and that Karnataka is still awaiting support under the NDRF.
Parameshwara said the state would assess losses according to NDRF norms and submit the necessary memorandum. The government also extended the crop loan repayment moratorium from 36 months to 60 months to give the farmers additional time to overcome financial difficulties.
The state government has also called for changes to the existing drought management framework. Lawmakers in the Legislative Council also expressed concern about NDRF protocols for declaring drought-hit areas as well as the adequacy of existing relief mechanisms.
Karnataka has a large Rainfall Deficit
The drought debate is taking place as Karnataka continues to have a significant rainfall deficit.
Parameshwara said the state had a 36% rainfall deficit up to September 23. Drinking water shortages in 531 villages in 111 taluks and 81 wards in 15 urban local bodies had been reported. Emergency measures have been taken in the affected districts, including water supply in tankers and private borewells.
The drought situation has also gotten worse, the government said. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Shivakumar warned that crop losses could exceed 40 lakh hectares if the deteriorating rainfall and moisture conditions continue. He also raised fears of reservoir storage and drinking water availability in the next months.
The Opposition, however, has continued to claim that relief announced so far is insufficient compared to the scale of the crisis.
BJP MLC Keshav Prasad also offered a cheque of Rs 1 lakh towards drought relief and suggested that legislators and government employees contribute one day's salary. But the Legislative Council chairman later returned the cheque, saying there was no separate drought relief head in the Chief Minister's Relief Fund at that point and asking Prasad to resubmit it once the appropriate head was opened.
The Karnataka Legislature special session has now concluded, and the drought debate has revealed a deep gulf between government and Opposition on the level of financial assistance, farm loan relief and the state’s reliance on Central funds.
