Cabinet to decide on hiking compensation to farmers: CM

 In the wake of farmers demanding more compensation after losing their crops to rains, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday that a decision in this regard would be taken after discussing the issue at the next Cabinet meeting.

Talking to reporters in Gadag after visiting the rain-affected farms in the district on Tuesday, he said that farmers had been demanding additional compensation for the crops lost to excess rain and drought. Their demand would be considered at the next meeting of the Cabinet, he added.

While 10 districts in the northern part of Karnataka have faced loss of crops due to excess rain, three to four districts in south Karnataka have recorded deficit rainfall and are facing a drought-like situation.

Loss of Rs 400 crore

The chief minister said 10 districts of north Karnataka had incurred a loss of Rs 400 crore, both in terms of crops, public and private properties.

He said that more than nine lakh hectares of land had been affected by drought-like condition in the State, and nearly 60,000 hectares of land had been affected by excess rain.

He said he had asked for a joint survey by the officials of Agriculture, Horticulture, and Revenue departments, who would submit the report to the government in the next two days.

“Based on the survey, we will ask the Union government to release funds to carry out relief and rehabilitation work,” he added.

He did not rule out taking an all-party delegation to New Delhi to urge the Union government to release a special package for the rehabilitation of the affected farmers.

“Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Jagadish Shettar (of the BJP), and his partymen should pressure the government at the Centre to release sufficient funds to carry out the relief work,” the chief minister said.