Bengaluru, Sep 22 (PTI) Karnataka is reeling from a severe drought amid a financial crisis, with the state government facing constraints in funding key relief measures such as drinking water, fodder and borewell repairs, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka claimed on Tuesday.
Participating in a debate on the drought situation in the Legislative Assembly, the BJP leader cited a September 17 Finance Department note to claim that the state had exhausted its borrowing capacity and would find it difficult to finance new schemes announced in the 2026-27 budget.
He said the state was facing a “financial drought” alongside the natural calamity and alleged that the government had failed to take timely precautionary measures despite warnings of deficient monsoon rainfall.
“Drought has struck the state, and farmers are migrating. On the one hand, there is a drought, and on the other, the government treasury is empty, and there is a financial drought,” Ashoka said.
He claimed the Finance Department had pointed out that schemes worth Rs 1,000 crore had not been included in the budget and that Karnataka’s fiscal deficit stood at 2.95 per cent, against the 3 per cent limit under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act.
The state’s revenue deficit stood at Rs 22,952 crore, while outstanding liabilities as a percentage of GSDP had reached 24.94 per cent against the permissible 25 per cent, he said.
Ashoka alleged that the state had effectively exhausted its borrowing capacity and questioned how the government would mobilise resources for drought relief and other new schemes.
“Where is the money for drought relief and drinking water?” he asked, adding that even funds earmarked for other departments, including SCSP and TSP allocations, might have to be diverted for relief measures.
The LoP said pending bills for government works amounted to around Rs 2 lakh crore, while pending bills in four departments, including Public Works and Water Resources, stood at Rs 36,136 crore.
He alleged that transport, irrigation and power corporations were facing financial difficulties.
Ashoka said the Finance Department’s communication, which he claimed exposed the government’s inability to fund fresh announcements, was dated September 17, before the Cabinet meeting in Mangaluru that decided on several projects.
Turning to the drought situation, he alleged that the government had failed to act despite receiving warnings from the India Meteorological Department as early as April about deficient rainfall and the possible impact of El Nino.
A drought-related note had also been placed before the Cabinet in April, but the government took four months to declare a drought, he claimed.
“The government should say how much money has been released for drinking water and fodder and explain the delay,” Ashoka said.
Ashoka also criticised the CM for conducting an aerial survey of drought-hit areas, saying Shivakumar should have visited farms and assessed crop losses personally.
The BJP leader said agriculture remained the main source of livelihood for a large section of the state’s population and claimed that farmers he met during his drought tour of Mysuru, Mandya, Chitradurga and Ballari districts had complained of crop losses, inadequate electricity supply for borewells and insufficient government assistance.
He said the government should have supplied alternative crop seeds in areas where sowing had failed. As of September 4, sowing had been completed on 67.32 lakh hectares against the normal area of 84.10 lakh hectares, he claimed.
Ashoka raised concerns over fodder availability and said cattle were being abandoned because of the drought. He demanded that Goshalas (cow sheds) be established in every village and adequate fodder stocks created before the situation worsens.
He criticised the government’s cloud-seeding exercise, saying Rs 28 crore had been spent despite warnings that it would not be effective.
The BJP leader alleged that farmers were migrating in search of work and demanded special arrangements for migrant families, including educational support for their children.
Ashoka called for a farm loan waiver, saying loans up to Rs 2 lakh had been waived in neighbouring Maharashtra. He demanded compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre for affected farmers and action against private moneylenders charging exorbitant interest.
He sought employment under the rural employment guarantee programme.
Ashoka demanded the creation of fodder banks and systems to distribute fodder to farmers in drought-hit areas.
He pointed out that some Congress legislators, including H K Patil and Appaji Nadagouda, had publicly raised concerns over the government’s handling of the drought and alleged that the administration had failed to respond adequately to their demands.
(PTI News)
