6 hrs ago

Karnataka Offers Cost Share for Centre’s Farmer Loan Waiver

Karnataka is facing a serious drought that is hurting farmers.

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar asked the national government to cancel farmers’ loans.

He said Karnataka would pay its portion of the cost if the national government agreed.

He invited opposition leader R. Ashoka to travel with him to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Shivakumar said all political parties should work together on the drought.

He described steps involving fodder, jobs, milk prices and water storage.

He also defended government welfare programs for households, rice recipients and women.

The Chief Minister said Karnataka is under financial pressure and believes it is not receiving a fair enough share of GST revenue.

Key facts

State: Karnataka
Drought response: The government is assessing milk prices, fodder shortages and rural employment.
Proposed loan-waiver funding: Shivakumar said Karnataka could consider 50:50, 60:40 or 70:30 cost-sharing formulas.
Earlier compensation: Karnataka previously secured Rs 3,000 crore in compensation after approaching the Supreme Court.
Welfare coverage: The government says free electricity reaches 1.60 crore households, rice reaches 4.40 crore people and Gruha Lakshmi benefits 1.21 crore women.
Tungabhadra storage: Silt accumulation has reduced reservoir storage capacity by around 30 TMC, according to Shivakumar.
Irrigation finances: The irrigation department has an allocation of Rs 20,000 crore, while works worth nearly Rs 1.25 lakh crore are under way.

thehansindia.com · 7 hrs ago