CM Siddaramaiah writes to Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman to expedite releasing drought relief funds
Bengaluru, Nov 15: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to expedite the process of releasing the drought relief funds to the state.
In separate letters to the three Central ministers, Siddaramaiah highlighted the dismal rainfall this year which was the lowest in the last 122 years.
The chief minister pointed out that out of 236 taluks, 223 have been declared drought hit in Karnataka. Among them, 196 are categorised as severely drought affected.
Noting that Karnataka has estimated a loss of Rs 35,162.05 crore, Siddarmaiah said the state government has sought Rs 18,171.44 crore from the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) for undertaking drought relief measures in the state.
The chief minister pointed out that there are 52.73 lakh small and marginal farmers with a land holding of less than two hectares, who are most impacted by drought as the majority of them depend on agriculture for living and input subsidy are the only available recourse for them to resume agricultural activities.
"The state government is seeking Rs 12,577.9 crore to facilitate payment of Gratuitous Relief towards subsistence of the small and marginal farmers whose lives and families' lives are completely dependent on agriculture activities for their immediate sustenance," the chief minister said.
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Mangaluru man creates India’s first beeswax chessboard, enters record book
Mangaluru: A unique chessboard made entirely from beeswax has earned Prajwal M, a beekeeper from Kinnigoli near Mangaluru, a place in the India Book of Records.
According to a report published by The Times of India on Wednesday, the handmade beeswax chessboard was showcased at a state-level agricultural exhibition held at the University of Agricultural Sciences (GKVK), Bengaluru, last month. The exhibit attracted widespread attention for its creativity and eco-friendly design.
"The beeswax chessboard measuring 20cm by 26cm works like any other chessboard. The only condition is that it should not be exposed to heat," as a full-time beekeeper and founder of Coastal Honey Bee Farm, I have been experimenting with various value-added products from beeswax and honey," TOI quoted Prajwal as saying.
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Prajwal, who runs the Coastal Honey Bee Farm reportedly said, he has been experimenting with value-added products made from honey and beeswax. An MBA graduate, Prajwal took up beekeeping during Covid-19 pandemic.
He said the idea for the chessboard came after he won a state-level award in October, following which he was invited to display an innovative product at the GKVK exhibition.
Initially, I thought of creating a statue, but I realised it would not be possible to complete it within four days. That is when the idea of making a chessboard struck me. Later, I was told that this is the first chessboard of its kind in India, he said.
As per the report, a native of Talipadi village in Dakshina Kannada district, Prajwal is the son of Sunita and Madhava Shettigar. Apart from the chessboard, he has developed over 25 value-added products, including skincare items, kajal, dry fruit honey and other honey-based products. He is also involved in training programmes for aspiring beekeepers and conducts awareness sessions for schoolchildren.
In recognition of his efforts, Prajwal was conferred the state-level Young Beekeeper Award earlier this year. He hopes to commercially introduce the chessboard soon.
