Minister Basavaraj Rayaraddy has said the government was considering relief for farmers who had paid crop insurance premiums as well as those who could not take up sowing due to inadequate rainfall.
Speaking to press persons after reviewing the drought situation in Shirahatti and Laxmeshwar taluks in Gadag district on Saturday, Mr. Rayaraddy said the matter would be discussed in the Cabinet before a decision was taken.
The Minister said that the rainfall deficit had damaged nearly 50% of crops in parts of Gadag district, while about 10% of the area could not be sown. Nearly 33,000 farmers in Shirahatti and Laxmeshwar taluks had paid crop insurance premiums.
He said the extent of crop damage had already crossed 50% in several areas and stressed the need for accurate assessment of both crop losses and areas left unsown.
Mr. Rayaraddy said that during the meeting he had directed officials to prepare comprehensive and verifiable reports on the drought situation and cautioned them against submitting preliminary estimates as final figures.
The Minister expressed displeasure over discrepancies in the information provided on drinking water supply in the two taluks. Officials should maintain accurate data on villages receiving water, those facing shortages, tanker supplies and the status of water sources, he said, adding that he had directed officials to issue a notice to a Panchayat Raj Department engineer for failing to provide adequate information.
The Minister sought an immediate report on the damaged drinking water pipeline supplying Magadi village and directed officials to undertake repairs under the SDRF provisions, if applicable.
On drought declaration, Mr. Rayaraddy said a decision could not be taken immediately and that another 15 days would be required to assess rainfall, sowing and crop damage scientifically. As many as 171 taluks in the State had reported rainfall deficiency, he said.
Earlier, the Minister chaired a review meeting on drought situation in Shirahatti and Laxmeshwar taluks at Shirahatti Taluk Panchayat auditorium and also sought information on the drinking water situation in both the taluks. As the information provided by the officials had discrepancies, he took the officials to task for not providing proper information and not coming to the meeting prepared.
MLA Chandru Lamani said eligible farmers should receive crop insurance and government compensation without delay, while ensuring that ineligible claims were excluded.
According to the officials, Shirahatti taluk has reported potential damage of over 50% in major crops, including maize, green gram, groundnut, cotton and pigeon pea. The horticultural losses include 560 acres of onion and 645 acres of chilli.
In Laxmeshwar, crop damage has been reported over 30,560 hectares out of 32,920 hectares sown, affecting 15,267 farmers. The horticultural losses include 245 acres of onion and 2,870 acres of chilli, with an estimated relief requirement of ₹105.91 lakh.
