Karnataka’s drought list could expand by another 8-10 taluks, or possibly more, after ground-truthing reports are submitted, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said on Friday. The state has already declared 217 taluks drought-hit and is assessing 23 additional taluks against prescribed criteria.
Parameshwara said the ground-truthing reports were expected on Friday or Saturday. The findings will determine whether the additional taluks qualify for inclusion in the drought-affected list, he told reporters in Bengaluru.
The verification process is part of the state’s preparation of a final memorandum seeking assistance from the Centre. The government will assess losses and calculate the relief required in accordance with central guidelines before submitting the memorandum, Parameshwara said.
The proposed memorandum will include the state’s assessment of losses and the assistance it is seeking. The Centre will examine the document before deciding on relief, according to the Deputy Chief Minister.
Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has proposed taking an all-party delegation to Delhi to meet the prime minister, the agriculture minister and the home minister, who is also in charge of disaster management. The delegation would request central assistance for Karnataka during what the state government has described as a distress situation.
Parameshwara said the government would appeal to opposition leaders to join the delegation. If they declined, the government would proceed with its own delegation, he said.
The state has held divisional-level meetings in Kalaburagi, Belagavi and Chitradurga to review the situation. Parameshwara also said that he and the chief minister had visited districts to assess the problems on the ground. The outcome of the ground-truthing exercise will determine whether the drought-hit list expands and will feed into the final relief memorandum.
