Karnataka will submit a third letter to the Centre seeking additional funds for drought relief after the state government assessed the drought situation as serious, Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara said. The fresh memorandum is being prepared and is expected to be submitted within two days.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Parameshwara said the state had decided to make another request for financial assistance because of the continuing difficulties caused by drought. He said the third appeal would set out the state’s requirements for relief funding from the Union government.
The memorandum is being prepared according to the Centre’s prescribed guidelines for drought assessment. Under this process, drought-affected areas are declared after assessment, while estimates are prepared for crop losses and other damage. The state will use these estimates to seek assistance under the guidelines of the National Disaster Response Fund, or NDRF, the minister said.
The request is expected to cover the losses identified in the state’s drought-affected areas. The source report did not specify the total amount sought in the third letter, the number of districts covered or the crop-loss estimate being submitted. Those details are expected to be contained in the memorandum when it is finalised and sent to the Centre.
Parameshwara also said the state government was meeting a substantial part of the immediate assistance being provided to farmers. The government is spending approximately ₹1,250 crore to provide ₹2,500 to each farmer, he said. According to the minister, Karnataka is continuing this expenditure despite the financial pressure because of the hardship faced by people and farmers.
The episode highlights the administrative chain through which drought support is processed: identification of affected areas, assessment of crop and other losses, preparation of a state memorandum and a request for assistance under the NDRF framework. The Centre’s response will determine the additional relief available to Karnataka through that process.
The third memorandum is expected to be completed within two days and then submitted to the Union government. The state government’s next formal step is therefore the filing of the fresh request, along with the drought and loss assessments prepared under the applicable guidelines.
