Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara on Thursday, 25 July declared that the state government is fully equipped to manage the ongoing drought crisis, asserting that there is no shortage of funds for relief operations. Parameshwara made the remarks while receiving public grievances at his official residence in Bengaluru, describing the current drought as the worst the state has witnessed in 150 years.

Scale of the Drought Crisis

Parameshwara painted a stark picture of agricultural distress across Karnataka. Less than 40 per cent of sowing has taken place across the state, and even those crops that were planted have withered due to the prolonged dry spell, resulting in severe losses to farming communities. Rainfall has remained far below normal levels across large parts of the state, making this one of the most acute agrarian emergencies in recent memory.

Funds Allocated and Relief Measures

The Deputy Chief Minister outlined the financial steps already taken by the state government. ₹1 crore has been sanctioned to every Member of the Legislative Assembly for local relief work, while ₹5 crore has been allocated to each district specifically to ensure drinking water supply. Additionally, ₹329 crore is already available in Public Deposit (PD) accounts. 'There is no shortage of funds in the government,' Parameshwara said.

He also directed all Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officers to immediately activate employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to prevent distress migration from drought-hit areas.

Review Meetings and Next Steps

Drought preparedness review meetings have been concluded for several regions. A joint review meeting for the Bengaluru Revenue Division, to be co-chaired by Chief Minister and Parameshwara, is scheduled for 25 July. A similar meeting for the Mysuru Division will follow. 'Once these reviews are completed, we will have a comprehensive picture of the situation across the state and decide on additional measures to ensure that farmers and the general public do not face hardships,' he said.

Farmers who had sown crops after pre-monsoon showers are now left with withered fields and are reportedly banking on August rainfall to attempt a second round of sowing.

Centre Yet to Respond to State's Request

The state government has written to the Centre seeking financial assistance but has not yet received a response, according to Parameshwara. He noted that the Union government typically considers such requests in August, after which Karnataka plans to submit a formal memorandum. 'Following which funds are expected to be released,' he said.

Parameshwara on NEET and Political Protests

Separately, Parameshwara weighed in on the NEET question paper leak controversy, calling it a matter that affects the futures of lakhs of students and demanding that it be taken up in Parliament. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded belatedly to the crisis and called for the removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He also condemned what he described as the alleged mistreatment of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi during protests in Delhi, invoking constitutional rights to peaceful assembly. On ongoing protests between the Indian National Congress (Congress) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka, he said political reactions were inevitable.

With August — historically Karnataka's peak monsoon month — approaching, the government's relief framework and the Centre's response to the state's memorandum will be closely watched by farmers and policymakers alike.