Karnataka MLA protests Centre over unpaid drought relief funds
Aland legislator B.R. Patil held a dharna in Kalaburagi, alleging the Union Government has ignored appeals for drought assistance.
Aland MLA B.R. Patil held a protest at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Kalaburagi on November 11, claiming the Central Government has failed to respond to Karnataka's requests for drought relief. According to The Hindu, Patil accused the Centre of neglecting the state's farmers despite repeated appeals.
The legislator stated that 226 taluks have been declared drought-hit following a severe deficit in the 2026 southwest monsoon rainfall. He reported that crop loss has affected 57.93 lakh hectares, consisting of 53.92 lakh hectares of crops and 4.01 lakh hectares of horticultural crops.
The State government initially sought ₹20,585.73 crore in assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). Following changes to relief norms by the Union Government, the demand was revised upward to ₹22,400.58 crore.
Patil alleged that the Centre has not granted appointments to state representatives or responded adequately to representations made to the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, and Union Agriculture Minister. He described the response as discriminatory towards Karnataka.
The MLA demanded the immediate release of the revised relief package, a loan waiver for farmers, and compensation for crop losses. He also called for using the Farmer Registration and Unified Beneficiary Information System (FRUITS) database to identify beneficiaries instead of using old agricultural census data.
Additional demands included establishing fodder banks in every gram panchayat and appointing nodal officers to monitor relief. Farmers and activists, including Sharanabasappa Mamshetty and M.B. Sajjan, were present at the protest.