Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday, 24 September urged the Centre to waive farmers' loans amid a severe drought gripping the state, assuring that the Karnataka government was prepared to bear its share of the financial burden under any cost-sharing formula the Centre proposed.

Key Developments

Speaking in reply to Opposition Leader R. Ashoka during a special legislative discussion on drought in both Houses of the Legislature, Shivakumar invited the Opposition to join an all-party delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seek relief for farmers. He said he would write to the Prime Minister immediately to seek an appointment, adding: 'I will not do politics on this issue. I will give him the respect he deserves.'

Shivakumar drew a pointed comparison between the Centre's treatment of industrialists and farmers. 'Just as the Centre has waived loans worth lakhs of crores of rupees for industrialists, it should waive farmers' loans. We are ready to bear our State's share,' he said. He indicated the state government was open to a 50:50, 60:40, or 70:30 funding split, depending on what the Centre agreed to.

Drought Relief and State Guarantees

The Chief Minister said he had personally visited several affected districts and held divisional-level meetings to assess conditions on the ground, covering issues from milk prices and fodder shortages to rural employment. Shivakumar also highlighted Karnataka's track record of pursuing constitutional remedies, noting that the state had earlier approached the Supreme Court and secured ₹3,000 crore in drought compensation.

He defended the state's guarantee schemes, saying benefits were extended without political discrimination. 'We do not work based on votes. We are providing free electricity to 1.60 crore households, 10 kg of rice to 4.40 crore people and the Gruha Lakshmi scheme to 1.21 crore women,' he said.

Water Management and Fiscal Pressures

On irrigation, Shivakumar said steps had been taken to address silt accumulation in the Tungabhadra reservoir, which had reportedly reduced storage capacity by around 30 TMC. He added that Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana had agreed to construct a parallel reservoir and jointly tackle siltation. On the Kasturirangan report, he said the government had consulted legislators, farmers, and residents before forming a position, committing to protect farmers along forest boundaries.

Acknowledging fiscal strain, he noted the irrigation department had an allocation of ₹20,000 crore while projects worth nearly ₹1.25 lakh crore were under way. He also criticised the Centre's GST framework, saying Karnataka's revenue outflows to the Centre were disproportionate. 'The State is paying GST whether you sit or stand. Even farmers' tractors attract GST,' he said.

Call for Cross-Party Cooperation

Shivakumar closed with an appeal for political cooperation over confrontation. 'I want to move forward through cooperation rather than conflict. If there are things I need to correct, I am ready to do so,' he said. The Chief Minister's willingness to include the Opposition in a Prime Minister-bound delegation signals an attempt to build bipartisan pressure on the Centre ahead of formal relief talks.