Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara on Saturday, 29 August announced that the state government would submit a drought relief memorandum to the Centre by the end of August or the first week of September. Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Parameshwara said 101 taluks had already been declared drought-affected, with assessments continuing for another 15 days — and more taluks could be added to the list.

Key Developments

'We will submit the drought memorandum to the Centre by the end of this month or the first week of September. Crop losses are being assessed and the memorandum will be prepared based on the assessment. Subsequently, Central teams will visit the state to conduct a survey, following which drought relief will be released,' Parameshwara said.

The Deputy CM outlined three immediate priorities: ensuring adequate drinking water, providing fodder for livestock, and creating employment opportunities to prevent distress migration from affected regions. 'We have already initiated measures in this regard,' he added.

Demand for ₹1,200 Crore SDRF Release

Parameshwara said the Centre had agreed in principle to provide ₹1,200 crore under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and urged the Union government to release the amount without delay. He said the SDRF contribution would be shared in a 25:75 ratio between the state and Centre. 'If the ₹1,200 crore is released, it will help us provide compensation to farmers. We will distribute the money to farmers within a week or 10 days,' he said.

Lessons from the 2023 Drought

Recalling the 2023 Karnataka drought, Parameshwara noted that the state had suffered losses estimated at ₹39,000 crore and had submitted a proposal seeking ₹18,000 crore in relief. The Centre ultimately released only ₹3,500 crore — and only after the state government staged a protest in Delhi and the Supreme Court intervened with directions. 'This time, such a situation should not arise,' he said, adding that he had already appealed to the Centre to ensure the previous experience was not repeated.

Nagendra Resignation Row

Responding to questions about the resignation of former minister B. Nagendra, Parameshwara defended him, saying Nagendra had not committed any offence and had no reason to step down. He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of politicising the issue and pressuring Nagendra into resigning. 'Nagendra has not committed any crime. However, the BJP politicised the issue by demanding his resignation. As a disciplined soldier of the party, Nagendra resigned to ensure that the government was not embarrassed,' Parameshwara said.

He claimed that Nagendra's name did not appear in the CBI or ED chargesheets and said the government had invited the Opposition to raise the matter legally in the Assembly. 'If they have documents, let them place them before the Assembly. We are capable of responding to them,' he said.

What Happens Next

Once Karnataka submits its memorandum, Central survey teams are expected to visit the state to assess ground conditions before any relief is formally sanctioned. The state government has indicated it will finalise per-acre farmer compensation figures based on the ongoing crop-loss assessment. With the 2023 precedent fresh in memory — where relief came only after a Supreme Court order — the political pressure on the Centre to respond swiftly is considerable.