Over 180 Karnataka Taluks Hit by Drought, Says Minister Basavaraj Rayareddi

More than 180 taluks across Karnataka have been hit by drought, requiring Rs 500 crore per district for relief works and employment generation, District in-charge minister Basavaraj Rayareddi said during an interaction with journalists in Gadag.

Rayareddi stated that drought is currently the most significant issue confronting Gadag district, where farmers have suffered losses in agricultural and horticultural crops estimated at Rs 219 crore. A report compiling the findings will be verified, and efforts will be made to include Nargund in the list of drought-hit taluks.

The minister noted that although there is sufficient drinking water to meet current needs, funds have been earmarked to handle any crisis that may arise. To assist local residents, around two lakh people in the district will be employed under the VB-G RAM G scheme.

Rayareddi said the state government has allocated a sum of Rs 6,000 crore for the implementation of the scheme and will ensure workers receive employment for 125 days.

A team from the Union government is scheduled to visit the state to assess conditions before an official drought declaration is made. Rayareddi explained that central funds for drought relief will only be disbursed after this assessment takes place.

Urging the Centre to provide financial assistance, Rayareddi noted that while Karnataka contributes Rs 4.5 lakh crore in taxes to the central government corpus, the state receives Rs 68,000 crore in return.

Addressing governance in the district, Rayareddi observed that a district in-charge minister does not possess limitless authority. He stated that he will consult senior MLA H K Patil, Assembly Speaker G S Patil, and other local legislators to work collaboratively toward the overall development of Gadag.