Bengaluru: Karnataka may have to borrow funds to sustain drought relief as the govt faces mounting demands for farm compensation, drinking water and fodder, with 217 of the state’s 240 taluks now declared drought-hit.Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara Thursday said the govt was prepared to borrow, if necessary, to protect farmers as drought had worsened across several parts of the state.“Protecting farmers is our priority. We will take all possible measures to assist them,” Parameshwara told reporters after inspecting drought-affected fields in Gunnal, Yelburga taluk.Parameshwara said the situation was particularly severe in parts of North Karnataka. He said recent inspections in Vijayapura and Ballari districts showed 98% of crops in Vijayanagara district destroyed. “Farmers are even unlikely to achieve a viable harvest from the remaining 2%. The state is facing an extremely difficult situation,” he said. He said drought in Ballari, Vijayanagara, Koppal, Raichur and Vijayapura was more severe than in the Mysuru region.The warning on finances comes amid a widening gap between estimated crop losses and resources immediately available to the state. Losses have been pegged at more than Rs 46,000 crore. The Rs 2,500 interim assistance for farmers is expected to cover 45 to 50 lakh beneficiaries and cost up to Rs 1,250 crore.The govt has already released Rs 1,250 crore and spent Rs 306 crore on drinking water measures, including borewells and pipeline extensions, while funds have been set aside for fodder and input kits.The immediate relief is being funded from State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) even as Karnataka waits for assistance under National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). Officials expect central assistance to include input subsidy of around Rs 8,000 to Rs 9,000 per hectare.“While we expect the situation to be tough, the bigger challenge will be to wait for NDRF to be released. This is expected to give some respite to the farmers,” an official said.The state will recoup expenditure incurred on drought relief from central assistance once it is released, revenue department officials said. “Once funds are released, we will recover the state’s expenditure and release the rest to farmers,” they said.LK Atheeq, financial adviser to the CM, said the govt had opted to release interim assistance from SDRF because of a likely procedural delay in receiving NDRF. “The govt has provided relief to farmers from SDRF and ensured enough financial assistance for potable drinking water. The only wait will be for NDRF,” he said.
