Central team to be sent to Karnataka to assess drought: PM

A central team is being sent to Karnataka soon to assess the drought situation there, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told an all-party delegation from the state led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah which raised the matter along with a number of other issues.

The delegation also sought the Prime Minister's intervention for an out-of-tribunal settlement on the Mahadayi River water issue, which concerns the states of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. The matter is currently before a tribunal.

Modi suggested that a consensus in this regard would be necessary among various political parties in all the three states, before an attempt can be made to resolve the matter through mutual consultations, out of the tribunal, a PMO statement said.

The delegation raised the issue of severe drought in Karnataka, especially in its northern parts.

Responding to this, the Prime Minister said a central team is being sent to the state, at the earliest, to assess the situation, the statement said.

The delegation also raised the problems being faced by sugarcane farmers, due to the fall in sugar prices.

To this, Modi said these problems were being faced by sugarcane farmers across the country and the Union government is a taking a number of steps to address them.

A request was also made for a hike in the import duty of silk to 30 per cent to protect the interests of the mulberry growers in the state and the Prime Minister said it would be examined.

Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu, Ananth Kumar and Sadananda Gowda and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge were present at the meeting.