The Union government on Wednesday assured an all-party delegation led by Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda that a team of officers would be sent immediately to assess the drought situation in Karnataka.
The decision came after the delegation met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, and sought Rs 1,500 crore as interim package for drought-hit districts. The delegation also demanded special status to six districts in Hyderabad-Karnataka region to provide education and employment in the region.
Speaking to media persons later, Mr Sadananda Gowda said 123 of the 176 taluks in 24 districts were reeling under “severe drought”, which was “unprecedented” in the last 70 years. He also asked the Union government to amend Article 371 ‘D’ of the Constitution to confer special status to Hyderabad-Karnataka region. According to Mr Gowda, the finance minister assured the delegation that he would consider the demand for interim relief after a team of agriculture ministry, scheduled to visit Karnataka this week, submits its report. Mr Sharad Pawar has asked officers of his ministry to visit the state for a survey of damage caused by the drought. Meanwhile, sources in the government said the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs would take a call on the issue of special status to Hyderabad-Karnataka region in the next few days.
According to former minister and Janata Dal (S) leader, Basavaraj Horatti, Mr Mukherjee posed many queries on the memorandum for interim relief submitted by the delegation. “When we met Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and agriculture minister, Sharad Pawar, they were very courteous and heard our problems. They even assured to do their best and help our state which is in distress. Mr Mukherjee was not willing to listen to us, and tried to find shortcomings in the presentation made by Chief Minister, D.V. Sadananda Gowda,” Mr Horatti added
He charged that union ministers, M. Veerappa Moily and K. H. Muniyappa, who were part of the delegation, did not come to the rescue of their colleague Mallikarjun M. Kharge when he tried his best to convince Mr Mukherjee that Karnataka was in dire need of the Union government’s aid to deal with severe scarcity conditions in the state.