Taking to social media platform X, the CM posted a timeline of the drought assessment and appeals. “As per the Drought Manual 2020 guidelines, a state can declare an early-season drought only during August. During Kharif 2023, the state assessed the drought twice…from November 2023 till now, you & your Ministry have been sleeping over the matter, while our 35 lakh farmers, having suffered from crop & income losses, are waiting for input subsidy of over 4663 crores,” he wrote.
Revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda defended the government as well, saying that the Home Minister did not care to have a meeting in four months to provide relief to farmers of Karnataka. “Agriculture Secretary of GOI finalised recommendation for ‘financial assistance to Karnataka under NDRF’ and sent it for ‘an early consideration of the High Level Committee’ headed by Home Minister on Nov 20,” he said, posting a copy of the memo on X.
Earlier in the day, Shah, who held his first rally in Karnataka after the Lok Sabha elections were declared, had alleged that the state had waited too long to seek help from the Centre. “The proposal [from the state government] to the Centre was submitted three months late. Today, the petition of the Centre to release drought relief is stuck with the Election Commission,” he said, accusing the Congress of “politicising” the issue.
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