Karnataka Drought Assessment Underway as Central Teams Visit Districts, Says Parameshwara

Three Central government teams are conducting field inspections across Karnataka to assess the impact of drought, with Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara saying the prolonged rainfall deficit could also have repercussions for the state's GST collections.

The teams have been visiting different parts of Karnataka since October 3 and are scheduled to complete their assessment by October 5 or 6. According to Parameshwara, the three teams have been divided across the state, with each group covering three to four districts and examining conditions in the 101 taluks identified as drought-hit in the first phase.

Parameshwara said Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and he had briefed the Central teams on the situation and requested that they also inspect the 77 taluks declared drought-affected in the second phase.

The teams have been visiting agricultural fields and interacting with farmers to assess crop losses and ground conditions. Parameshwara said officials had also shown the teams areas covered during the state's ground-truthing exercise.

Deputy commissioners and chief executive officers of zilla panchayats have been providing the Central teams with district-level information during their visits, he said.

Once the field assessment is completed, the teams are expected to submit their findings to the Union government. The Centre will subsequently consider Karnataka's request for drought assistance based on the assessment report.

Parameshwara said the state estimates that drought-related losses have reached around Rs 46,000 crore across 177 taluks. Karnataka has sought approximately Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 11,000 crore in compensation from the Centre.

He said the Chief Minister and he were also considering travelling to Delhi with a state delegation when Karnataka submits its final memorandum to press its case for drought relief.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the state was also reviewing its own revenue position amid financial pressures. On recent increases in certain Revenue Department service charges, he said some fees had been raised marginally in response to rising costs and the need to strengthen the state's own revenue sources when Central funds fall short.

Parameshwara also said the government was examining representations seeking reconsideration of Sections 79A and 79B of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, which had earlier been removed. He said the matter would be discussed with the Chief Minister after the examination and could be placed before the Cabinet if necessary.

On the state's GST position, Parameshwara said Karnataka had consistently remained among the leading states in GST collections and had been complying with the rules prescribed by the Union government.

However, he said the impact of the drought could eventually be reflected in tax collections because of crop losses and the wider effect on economic activity.

The government, he said, would assess the impact in the coming days and had maintained a financial buffer while also examining measures to improve GST collections.

Parameshwara described the current drought as unusually severe and said its effects could extend across multiple sectors of the state's economy.

On the ongoing dispute over Form-7 applications used for objections to electoral-roll entries, Parameshwara said the state government had submitted evidence to the Election Commission alleging large-scale misuse of the provision.

He alleged that applications had been submitted in bulk and questioned how individuals could file hundreds of applications. He further alleged that voter details were being filled into pre-printed forms and that members of a particular community were being targeted.

These allegations are part of an ongoing political dispute over the use of Form 7. The BJP has rejected the Karnataka government's allegations and has maintained that filing Form 7 is a legitimate mechanism under Election Commission rules for raising objections to electoral-roll entries.

Parameshwara said the state had provided the Election Commission with the evidence it had collected and expected action against those identified in its complaint. He said the Election Commission had indicated that notices would be issued to the concerned individuals before further action, including registration of FIRs where warranted.