‘Not interested in farmers’: D K Shivakumar slams BJP, JD(S) over drought relief

Shivakumar had proposed an all-party delegation to the Centre at the end of a special session of the legislature on drought and the Kasturirangan report held last week. He accused the coalition of staging a “fake drama” to seek enhanced compensation for affected farmers. “We will contribute (to farmers’ relief). Let them ensure that the Central government also does its due,” Shivakumar said.

Even if the Centre failed to provide adequate relief, Shivakumar said the state government would do whatever it could for farmers’ welfare. He said he had invited all MPs for an all-party meeting over the drought crisis.

Karnataka’s drought woes

Karnataka is reeling under one of its worst droughts in recent years. The current seasonal rainfall stands at 36 per cent below normal. Rainfall in September has plummeted to 59 per cent below normal. An inter-ministerial Central team is scheduled to visit Karnataka from October 3 to October 6 to assess the drought situation on the ground.

On September 10, the Karnataka government submitted its Kharif 2026 Drought Memorandum, seeking Central assistance for 101 taluks initially declared drought-hit.

Last week, Shivakumar wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the early release of 50 per cent of the Rs 3,705 crore assistance requested by the state, along with the advance release of Central disaster relief funds.

Shivakumar then noted the need for an immediate interim release of 50 per cent of the memorandum amount, as standard Central assessment protocols can take significant time. The formal process involves an inter-ministerial central team conducting on-the-ground assessments, submitting a report to a sub-committee of the national executive committee, and ultimately receiving final approval from a high-level committee.