Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara has written separate letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, urging the Centre to urgently sanction and release over ₹20,585 crore under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to address a severe drought gripping the state. The letters, dispatched from Bengaluru on 22 October 2026, come as 226 taluks across Karnataka have been formally declared drought-hit.

Scale of the Drought

Karnataka recorded a 35 per cent rainfall deficit during the 2026 southwest monsoon season, receiving only 551 mm against a normal of 852 mm. According to Parameshwara, this makes it the second-lowest monsoon rainfall since 1956 and the seventh-lowest since 1901 — a sobering statistical marker that underlines the severity of the crisis.

Crop damage has been reported across 57.93 lakh hectares, comprising 53.92 lakh hectares of agricultural crops and 4.01 lakh hectares of horticultural crops. The total economic loss, calculated on the basis of agricultural input costs, has been pegged at ₹62,481.88 crore.

Breakdown of the Relief Demand

The state's comprehensive memorandum places the central assistance requirement at ₹20,585.73 crore, broken down as follows: ₹6,128.70 crore as input subsidy for crop losses; ₹12,146.99 crore as livelihood assistance for 61.91 lakh small and marginal farmers, calculated at ₹327 per day for 60 days; ₹1,727 crore for drinking water supply; and ₹583.04 crore for animal husbandry and livestock protection.

The state has additionally sought ₹427.20 crore under the PM POSHAN scheme to provide nutritious meals to schoolchildren in drought-affected taluks during summer vacations, and a further ₹70.96 crore under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme for vulnerable beneficiaries.

Disputes Over Outdated Data

Parameshwara flagged a significant methodological concern: the Centre's continued reliance on agricultural Census data from 2015-16 to determine input subsidies. He argued that calculations based on decade-old figures could result in a shortfall of around ₹1,669.50 crore in relief for Karnataka. The state has urged the Centre to instead use its updated Farmers Registration and Unified Beneficiary Information System (FRUITS) database for accurate beneficiary identification. A revision of existing norms governing input subsidies — in keeping with rising agricultural production costs and the period covered by the 16th Finance Commission — has also been called for.

Livestock and Infrastructure Needs

Beyond crop losses, the state has sought assistance to establish 476 cattle camps and 583 fodder banks to protect livestock. Drinking water supply disruptions across drought-hit taluks have been flagged as requiring immediate central intervention, with ₹1,727 crore earmarked for that purpose alone.

What the Government Said

Parameshwara invoked the principle of cooperative federalism, asserting that 'farmers' welfare transcends political and administrative boundaries' and that the Centre and states must work in coordination. He referred to the visit of the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) to Karnataka from 3 to 6 October to assess the situation on the ground, and urged the Centre to expedite the team's recommendations to the High-Level Committee for swift sanction and release of funds. This comes amid mounting pressure on the state government to deliver relief to farming communities ahead of the rabi sowing season.