Next Cabinet meet to take call on drought declaration

NT Correspondent

Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that 62 taluks had been identified as drought-hit, adding that a report was due on the status of 136 taluks and that a decision would be taken on the same in the next Cabinet meeting.

He made the comments to mediapersons during his visit to Mysuru.

“As many as 62 taluks have been shortlisted as per the guidelines. Moreover, a report is being sought on the condition of 136 taluks. After this report is submitted, a decision will be taken on the declaration of drought in these taluks in the next Cabinet meeting,” Siddaramaiah said.

The principal Opposition party BJP has been critical of the ruling Congress over its stand of declaring drought earlier.

The deficit rainfall in the state was partly due to to the “extremely severe” cyclone Biparjoy siphoning moisture-laden winds back in June. However, after the cyclone made landfall in Gujarat on June 15, conditions were favourable for the advancement of monsoon.

The State government had been hopeful of a recovery of sorts in July, a month that recorded plentiful rain. However, August was also relatively dry. Early September has seen a revival of monsoon to an extent with cities like Bengaluru receiving 88.9 mm of rain in the wee hours of September 1.

Siddaramaiah has demanded that the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) guidelines on declaration of drought be revised. The CM had written to the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar with a similar request on August 13.

The CM is also facing flak for his government releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as per the directions of Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Supreme Court but he reiterated that there should be no politics when it came to protecting the interests of the farmers of the state.