Ktk seeks Rs 3,310 cr drought relief for 2016 rabi crop loss

Karnataka government today submitted a memorandum to the Agriculture Ministry seeking a drought relief of Rs 3,310 crore for the loss of rabi crops in 2016.

State Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa submitted the memorandum in a meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh here.

The Centre had recently approved Rs 1,782 crore drought relief package to the state for loss of kharif 2016 crops.

"The rabi crops have been badly affected due to poor rains. We have submitted a memorandum demanding Rs 3,310 crore as drought relief package," Gowda told reporters after the meeting.
 

In the meeting, the central government assured that it will send an expert team to the state for assessing the extent of crop damage, he said and hoped for early release of the proposed relief amount.

The state has declared 160 taluks as drought-hit in this rabi season due to 70 per cent shortage in rains. Even water level in all major reservoirs has plummeted sharply.

He said area sown to rabi crops was down at 25.98 lakh hectare as against the target of 32.25 lakh hectare this year.

"Prolonged dry spell during rabi season caused set back in area coverage of rabi crops especially jowar, wheat and sunflower crops," Gowda added.

In the memorandum, the state government has said that moisture stress due to continuous dry-spell has adversely affected agri-crops in 13.5 lakh hectare and horticultural crops in 15,092 hectares.

The state has estimated rabi crop loss at Rs 7,097 crore. This is the second straight year that both kharif and rabi crops have been badly affected due to drought.

On drought relief package approved for 2016 kharif crop loss, the state agriculture minister said that the amount has still not been sanctioned to the state's account and the process needs to be expedited.

The two state ministers are planning to meet both Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh on this issue.