Kharge Seeks Separate Central Team to Assess Drought in Kalyana Karnataka

In a letter to Modi, Kharge said three Inter-Ministerial Central Teams were scheduled to assess drought conditions in various parts of Karnataka between October 3 and 7. However, he argued that the situation in Kalyana Karnataka warranted a separate assessment because the region had been severely affected.

Kharge requested that an additional team be deputed to the region at the earliest to conduct an on-ground assessment of the reported crop and drought-related damage.

The three existing teams are scheduled to cover Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Davanagere and Vijayanagara; Hassan, Mysuru and Chamarajanagar; and Yadgir, Raichur, Bagalkot and Koppal.

Kharge also called for the Centre to approve Karnataka's full request for Rs 3,705.30 crore under NDRF and SDRF norms. He said the amount sought was considerably below the state's estimated drought-related losses of Rs 18,748.23 crore.

Another request concerned the calculation of input subsidies for small and marginal farmers. Kharge urged the Centre to use Karnataka's updated Bhoomi land records rather than data from the 2015-16 Agriculture Census, arguing that reliance on older records could leave eligible farmers out of relief measures.

The Congress chief further sought the inclusion of 11 additional taluks currently undergoing ground verification, as well as any other areas that qualify through weekly assessments before the end of the Kharif 2026 season. He proposed that these areas be treated as part of the same continuing drought event when determining eligibility for Central assistance.

Kharge said such an approach could help prevent the state from having to submit multiple claims over the course of the drought.

He also called for increased Central support for drinking water arrangements and the additional cost of substitute power, citing low reservoir levels in the Cauvery basin and hydel catchment areas.

According to Kharge, more than 31 lakh farming families in Karnataka are facing severe distress because of the drought. He urged the Centre to process the state's request on an urgent basis and said relief should be determined on the basis of the situation on the ground rather than political considerations.

Kharge described the situation facing farmers as a major crisis and called drought relief a humanitarian priority requiring timely intervention from both the Centre and the state.

He asked Modi to give the state's memorandum priority and intervene to ensure that the requested assistance is sanctioned and released without further delay.

Kharge also said he had separately written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking intervention over the drought situation in Karnataka.