Get more drought-relief funds from Centre, CM tells state MPs

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday urged union ministers and MPs from Karnataka to take up the issue of drought with the Centre and get more funds to take up relief works in drought-hit areas.

After a meeting with the MPs and union ministers to discuss the state’s pending proposals with the Centre, he told reporters that with the severe drought in the state for the past few years, financial help was urgently required from the Centre to take up relief works. The MPs and union ministers from the state must pressure the Centre to ensure that maximum funds were released to the state, he said.

The state has already requested the Centre to increase the state’s share in National Disaster Relief Fund to Rs 3,050 crore a year and the proposal is still pending with the Centre, he said. With farmers demanding waiver of agriculture loan, the Centre should help Karnataka fulfil the long-standing demand, he said.