Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday, 1 September said the state government would shortly announce the second list of drought-hit taluks, following a detailed ground-level assessment conducted in line with prescribed Central guidelines. Shivakumar made the announcement after chairing a review meeting with district officials at the Gadag Deputy Commissioner's office.

What the CM Said

'We have to declare drought-hit areas as per the guidelines. Accordingly, we are conducting a study and will announce the second list shortly,' Shivakumar told reporters. He noted that the district in-charge minister had personally toured every taluk and submitted a field report, while state officials were simultaneously conducting their own independent assessment. Both reports, he said, must be examined before a consolidated submission is made to the Centre.

Ground Situation in Gadag

Shivakumar described the agricultural crisis in Gadag as the worst the district had seen in five decades. Rainfall this year is reportedly around 40 per cent below normal, and the Chief Minister, who surveyed the region by helicopter, said large tracts of land had seen no sowing at all. 'Even where sowing has been done, farmers may not get even 10 to 15 per cent of the crop,' he said. He personally inspected fields growing cotton, groundnut, maize, and sunflower and spoke directly with affected farmers about their concerns.

Currently, only Gajendragad taluk has been officially declared drought-hit in Gadag district. All sitting MLAs in the district, under the leadership of the in-charge minister, have submitted a joint representation urging that every taluk in Gadag be designated drought-affected.

Centre's Role and Assessment Alignment

Shivakumar stressed that Karnataka's drought assessment report must align with findings of the Central team deputed from Delhi. 'The report prepared by us has to be accepted by the drought assessment team coming from Delhi. Only then will the Centre provide assistance,' he said. This procedural alignment is critical — a mismatch between state and Central assessments could delay or reduce relief funding for farmers.

Immediate Relief Measures

The state has already deployed several emergency measures. ₹1 crore has been allocated to every rural Assembly constituency for drinking water supply, with additional contingency funds placed with Deputy Commissioners for urgent needs. On the proposal for cloud seeding, Shivakumar said MLA H.K. Patil had presented his views, while other legislators raised concerns related to irrigation, the Bennihalla project, and various development works. 'We will take action on these projects keeping the financial situation of the state in mind,' he said.

Governance Initiatives Announced

Shivakumar also announced the launch of Praja Seva Andolana from 5 September, aimed at making district administration more responsive and reducing the burden on citizens to make repeated visits to government offices. The government is additionally undertaking a re-verification of beneficiaries under its guarantee schemes and forming panchayat-level committees to prevent misuse and ensure eligible households are covered. The Chief Minister noted he had planned to present the government's first-100-days achievements during the Assembly session, but was prevented from doing so by Opposition disruptions, and would instead present the details at a dedicated 100-day programme.