Kharge urges Modi to deploy separate team for Kalyana Karnataka drought, seeks ₹3,705 crore relief
Synopsis
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has formally written to PM Modi demanding a dedicated fourth IMCT for drought-ravaged Kalyana Karnataka — a region where losses are estimated at ₹18,748 crore, yet the state has claimed only ₹3,705.30 crore. With over 31 lakh farming families in distress and the Kharif season closing, the demand is both a policy push and a sharp political signal.
Key Takeaways
INC President Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to PM Narendra Modi on 3 October 2026 seeking a separate Central drought assessment team for Kalyana Karnataka .
Kharge demanded the Centre release ₹3,705.30 crore in full under NDRF/SDRF norms, against estimated state losses of ₹18,748.23 crore .
Three existing IMCTs are scheduled to cover other Karnataka districts from 3–7 October 2026 ; Kharge says Kalyana Karnataka requires a dedicated fourth team.
He called for input subsidies to be computed using updated Bhoomi land records, not the outdated 2015-16 Agriculture Census .
The drought has severely affected more than 31 lakh farming families across Karnataka.
Kharge also wrote separately to Home Minister Amit Shah seeking similar Central intervention.
Indian National Congress (INC) President Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to immediately depute a dedicated Central assessment team to Kalyana Karnataka to evaluate drought damage on the ground, while pressing for the release of ₹3,705.30 crore in relief under NDRF/SDRF norms. The letter, sent from New Delhi on 3 October 2026, comes as three Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) were already scheduled to assess drought conditions across other parts of Karnataka between 3 and 7 October.
Why Kalyana Karnataka Needs a Separate Team
Kharge argued that Kalyana Karnataka — the region he himself hails from — has been 'very drastically hit' by drought and cannot receive adequate attention from the three existing IMCTs, which have been assigned to other districts. The three teams are slated to cover Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Davanagere and Vijayanagara under Team 1; Hassan, Mysuru and Chamarajanagar under Team 2; and Yadgir, Raichur, Bagalkot and Koppal under Team 3.
'I request that another team may be deputed specifically to visit Kalyana-Karnataka without further delay to verify the drought damage on the ground,' Kharge wrote in the letter.
The Scale of Losses and Relief Sought
Karnataka has estimated total drought-related losses at ₹18,748.23 crore, yet the state has sought only ₹3,705.30 crore under NDRF/SDRF norms — a fraction of the actual damage figure. Kharge urged the Centre to sanction and disburse the full requested amount without reduction, calling it a humanitarian imperative. He also called for the drought's impact to be assessed across more than 31 lakh farming families in Karnataka.
Key Policy Demands from Kharge
Beyond the immediate financial ask, the Congress President put forward several structural demands. He urged the Centre to direct that input subsidies for small and marginal farmers be calculated using Karnataka's updated Bhoomi land records rather than the 2015-16 Agriculture Census, warning that outdated data risks excluding genuinely eligible farmers from relief.
Kharge also sought the inclusion of 11 additional taluks currently undergoing Ground Truthing, along with any other qualifying taluks identified before the end of the Kharif 2026 season, treating the situation as a single continuing drought event. He argued this approach would eliminate the need for repeated and delayed claims. Additionally, he called for enhanced Central assistance for drinking water security and substitute power costs, citing critically low reservoir levels in the Cauvery and hydel catchment areas.
Political Dimension and Dual Appeal
Kharge was direct in framing the issue beyond partisan lines: 'The agrarian community of Karnataka faces a crisis of existential proportions. Drought relief is a humanitarian imperative and ought not to be governed by political differences between the Centre and State,' he wrote. He urged Modi to personally intervene and prioritise the state's memorandum to ensure timely sustenance, fodder, water, and livelihood security for millions of affected citizens.
Notably, Kharge also confirmed he had written separately to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking similar intervention. This comes amid a broader backdrop of Centre-State friction between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government and the Congress-led Karnataka state government over resource allocation and disaster relief.
What Happens Next
The three existing IMCTs are set to complete their field assessments by 7 October 2026. Whether the Centre agrees to Kharge's demand for a fourth, dedicated Kalyana Karnataka team remains to be seen. An expeditious Central response could determine the timeline for relief disbursal to the region's distressed farming communities ahead of the close of the Kharif season.
Point of View
He hails from Kalyana Karnataka, and his party governs the state while the BJP runs the Centre. The humanitarian framing is genuine, but the demand also serves to publicly document any delay in Central relief, creating an accountability trail ahead of state-level elections. The more substantive concern is the Bhoomi land records issue: using a decade-old Census to determine farmer eligibility is a real policy flaw that risks excluding the most vulnerable. If the Centre rejects that ask on procedural grounds, it hands the opposition a credible grievance that transcends party lines.
NationPress
3 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Congress chief Kharge urging a separate Central team for Kalyana Karnataka?
Kharge says Kalyana Karnataka has been 'very drastically hit' by drought and cannot be adequately assessed by the three IMCTs already assigned to other parts of the state. He argues that without a dedicated fourth team, the region's specific damage will go unverified and farmers will miss out on timely relief.
How much drought relief has Kharge sought for Karnataka?
Kharge has urged the Centre to release the full ₹3,705.30 crore sought by Karnataka under NDRF/SDRF norms without any reduction. He noted this figure is already far below the state's estimated total losses of ₹18,748.23 crore.
What districts are the existing IMCT teams covering in Karnataka?
Three teams are scheduled to visit Karnataka between 3 and 7 October 2026. Team 1 covers Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Davanagere, and Vijayanagara; Team 2 covers Hassan, Mysuru, and Chamarajanagar; Team 3 covers Yadgir, Raichur, Bagalkot, and Koppal. Kalyana Karnataka is not assigned to any of these teams, which is the basis of Kharge's demand.
Why does Kharge want updated Bhoomi land records used for farmer subsidies?
Kharge says that using the 2015-16 Agriculture Census data to calculate input subsidies for small and marginal farmers could lead to genuinely eligible farmers being excluded from relief. He is urging the Centre to use Karnataka's current Bhoomi digital land records, which are more accurate and up to date.
How many farming families are affected by the Karnataka drought?
According to Kharge's letter, more than 31 lakh farming families across Karnataka have been severely affected by the ongoing drought. He has called on the Centre to release relief on merit and urgently, without political considerations.
