State seeks Rs 1,500 cr interim drought relief

Burying their differences, MPs from various political parties of Karnataka on Wednesday met the Prime Minister to pitch for a Rs 1,500 crore interim package for drought hit districts.

The all-party delegation headed by Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, seeking an immediate interim relief to deal with drought in 24 districts in the state and inclusion of more areas to receive special assistance in education and employment.

During their meeting with the Prime Minister, the delegation demanded amendment to Article 371 D of the Constitution dealing with special provisions for Andhra Pradesh. The delegation said the special provisions should be extended to Hyderabad-Karnataka region of the state comprising five districts to provide additional educational and employment opportunities.

A Cabinet minister, who was part of the delegation, said the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs is likely to take a call on the issue in the next few days.

Mukherjee assured the delegation that he would consider the demand for interim relief after an Agriculture Ministry team, which will visit the state this week, submits its report, Gowda said after the meeting. Earlier in the day, the delegation had met Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar who immediately ordered an official delegation to visit the state to take the assessment of the drought.

Gowda said the official delegation from the Agriculture Ministry will visit the state in two days. He said the drought has hit 123 talukas in 24 districts of the state, causing crop loss worth Rs 5,864 crore. “Our demand is that the Centre should bear half of the expenses. An interim relief of Rs 1,500 crore should be released immediately,” Gowda told reporters.

Top political leaders from the state including union ministers M Veerappa Moily, Mallikarjun Kharge, K H Muniappa, former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, state ministers and leaders of the leading political parties in Karnataka were part of the delegation.