Bengaluru, Oct 15 Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday said 226 taluks in the state had been declared drought-hit, with the estimated losses due to drought likely to exceed Rs 60,000 crore.
Speaking to reporters outside Vidhana Soudha after a Cabinet meeting, he said nine more taluks had recently been added to the drought-hit list, taking the total to 226 from the earlier 217.
“The government is assessing drought conditions in the remaining taluks. Those meeting the eligibility criteria under Trigger-1 parameters will undergo a ground-truthing exercise, following which more taluks may be included in the list,” Parameshwara said.
If no additional taluks qualify, the existing list of 226 will be considered final, he added.
The Deputy CM said the state government was preparing a final memorandum detailing drought-related losses, which was expected to be completed within the next one or two days.
Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had directed that an all-party delegation be taken to the Centre to submit the memorandum and seek relief, he said.
Although opposition parties had expressed their unwillingness to participate in the delegation, the government would make another attempt to persuade them to join, he added.
“If they agree to participate, it would be good. Otherwise, the chief minister, some ministers and I will visit Delhi and seek appointments with the prime minister and the concerned Union ministers,” Parameshwara said.
The delegation would explain the severity of the drought situation in Karnataka and submit a final memorandum seeking assistance, he added.
The state had initially estimated drought-related losses at around Rs 46,000 crore. Preliminary estimates suggest that the total losses could rise to between Rs 60,000 crore and Rs 70,000 crore, Parameshwara said.
However, the state could not seek compensation from the Centre for the entire estimated loss, as the amount eligible for assistance had to be calculated in accordance with the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) guidelines, he explained.
Last year, despite estimated losses of around Rs 49,000 crore, the state had sought approximately Rs 18,000 crore in assistance from the Centre under the NDRF guidelines.
Similarly, if the losses this year reach around Rs 60,000 crore, the state may seek compensation of approximately Rs 18,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore, he said.
These were only preliminary estimates, and the final amount would be determined after a detailed assessment of losses and calculations under the applicable NDRF guidelines, he clarified.
Parameshwara said the state government had decided to challenge the High Court’s ruling setting aside the enhancement of reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The government had decided to file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court, he said.
Further legal and administrative steps would be discussed by the Political Affairs Committee, including the possibility of placing the relevant legislation in the Ninth Schedule, he added.
The Karnataka High Court on Monday struck down provisions of a 2022 state law that increased reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) from 15 to 17 per cent and for Scheduled Tribes (STs) from 3 to 7 per cent, holding that the enhanced quota breached the 50 per cent ceiling.
(PTI News)
