CM Siddaramaiah pledges action on regional imbalance, crop losses, Kuruba ST push underway

From drone-mapped crop damage affecting over 1 lakh hectares to resubmitting the Kuruba ST proposal, the CM signals a dual focus on agrarian relief and social justice, while waiting on Centre’s nod for disaster fund reforms.

Kalaburagi: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has promised that necessary action will be taken after a new committee headed by Prof Govind Rao submits a report on redressal of regional imbalances.

Speaking after unfurling the national flag to mark the 77th Kalyana Karnataka liberation day from Nizam rule here on Wednesday, he said that the committee would study the improvements in backward taluks and recommend further measures to eliminate regional imbalances.

He said that the crop damage survey had been delayed due to continuous rainfall.

The joint survey was being conducted by the revenue, agriculture horticulture departments. Insurance companies would distribute compensation after estimating the crop loss, he added. 

Accusing the Centre of failing to respond to the state’s plea to revise the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms for distribution of compensation for crop loss due to natural calamities, Siddaramaiah said that a decision on providing compensation to farmers would be taken once officials submit a final report after the joint survey on crop damage caused by heavy rainfall.  

“I have already met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the need to revise NDRF norms to ensure adequate compensation to farmers. But we have not received any response so far,” he said.

Responding to a question on waiver of farmers’ loans, the CM said that he would look into it. 

The chief minister also conducted inspection of damaged tur crop grown by farmer Channabasappa Sajjan on 27 acres of land near Farhatabad village, due to stagnation of rainwater.

Deputy commissioner Fauzia Tarannum showed to the CM a drone image of the damaged crops including tur, black gram, green gram in the district.

As per the agriculture department’s preliminary report, there is crop loss in more than 1 lakh hectares out of the total 9 lakh hectares under cultivation. 

“Karnataka has received more than normal rainfall this year. A total 37 cases of human loss of life and 175 cases of livestock deaths have been reported. The government has distributed compensation in all cases, including house collapse and partial damages,” Siddaramaiah said.  

Siddaramaiah said that the state would send a recommendation to the Centre again along with additional data and documents to include Kuruba community in the Scheduled Tribes’ category.

Addressing the gathering at an event to unveil the statue of freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna here, he said that the Centre had earlier returned the proposal in this regard.

At present, Kurubas come under Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. They are seen as a dominant OBC after Lingayats and Vokkaligas. If Kurubas come under ST list, they can get higher political representation alongside a bigger share in quota pie. Karnataka has already hiked ST quota from 3% to 7%.