Bengaluru, September 11: Revenue Minister R.V. Deshpande said that the state government has declared 86 taluks in 16 districts which received scanty rainfall in this season as per the guidelines of 2016.
After holding a Cabinet Sub-Committee meeting to review the drought relief works and take a stock of the present situation at Vidhana Soudha here on Tuesday, the Minister said that 89 taluks have received scanty rainfall. As per the central government’s guidelines, the area should receive less than 60 per cent rain against the average rainfall, dry weather for more than three weeks, less than 75 per cent sowing of overall target, satellite-based crops analysis, less than 50 per cent humidity and water resources index of reservoirs and ground water level should be taken into consideration while declaring any taluk as drought hit. The monsoon which entered the state by May 30 has covered the entire state by June 8. But only Malnad and Coastal districts have received heavy rains and remaining places like north and south interior districts of the state were hit by the drought situation, he said.
From June 1 to September 6, the state has received 721 mm rainfall and this was 2 per cent more than the average rainfall. But in this period, 88 districts have received scanty rainfall and Sindhanur taluk in Raichur has suffered with complete drought situation, he said.
There was dry spell for more than three weeks in 104 taluks, lack of humidity in 115 taluks, less than 75 per cent sowing in 44 taluks, crop loss in 119 taluks and groundwater was depleted in 35 taluks, he said.
Crops worth Rs 8k cr damaged
Due to lack of sufficient rainfall, agriculture and horticulture crops grown in 15 lakh hectares of land were damaged incurring a loss of Rs 8,000 crore. Because of the drought situation, drinking water and fodder scarcity was cropped up and this has affected the rural employment opportunities, he said.
Due to heavy rainfall in Malnad and Coastal region, Rs 3,705 crore worth properties and crops were damaged. A delegation led by Chief Minister H.D Kumaraswamy which met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday appealed him to release Rs 1199.89 crore to take up relief measures, he said.
Drought-hit taluks
Bengaluru Rural- Hosakote, Ramanagar- Channapattana and Kanakapura, Kolar- Bangarapete, Kolara, Maluru, Mulabagilu and Srinivaspura, Chikkaballapura- Bagepalli, Chikkaballapura, Chintamani, Gauribidanur, Gudibande and Shidlaghatta, Tumakur- Chikkanayakanahalli, Gubbi, Koratagere, Kunigal, Madhugiri, Pavagada, Sira, Tipatur and Tumkur, Chitradurga- Challakere, Chitradurga, Hiriyur and Molakalmuru, Davangere- Harapanahalli and Harihara, Chamarajanagar- Kollegala and Yelandur, Mandya- Malavalli, Maddur, Mandya, Nagamangala and Srirangapatna, Bellary- Bellary, Hadagali, Hosapete, Hagaribommanahalli, Kudligi, Sandur and Siruguppa, Koppal- Gangavathi, Koppala, Kushtagi and Yelburga, Raichur- Devadurga, Lingasugur, Manvi, Raichur and Sindhanur, Kalaburgi- Afzalpura, Chincholi, Chittapura, Kalaburagi, Jevargi and Sedam, Yadagiri- Shahapura, Shorapura and Yadagiri, Bidar- Bidar and Humnabad, Belagavi- Ramdurga and Savadatti, Bagalkote- Badami, Bagalkote, Hunagunda, and Jamakhandi, Vijayapura- Basavanabagewadi, Bijapura, Indi, Muddebihal and Sindhagi, Gadag- Gadag, Mundaragi, Raragunda, Rona and Shirahatti, Haveri- Ranebennur, Dharwad- Hubballi and Navalagunda, Hassan- Arsikere, Belur, Channarayapatna and Chikmagalur- Kadur taluks were declared as drought affected, Deshpande said.
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New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday slammed the government over its move to change the name of MGNREGA, asking what is the government's intention behind removing the name of Mahatma Gandhi who is the tallest leader not just in India but in the world.
A bill to repeal the MGNREGA and bring a new law for rural employment -- Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025 -- is set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha. According to a copy of the bill, it seeks to introduce the VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025, in Parliament and repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) of 2005.
Asked about the government's move, Priyanka Gandhi said, "Whenever the name of a scheme is changed there are so many changes that have to be made in offices, stationery... for which money is spent. So, what is the benefit, why it is being done?"
"Why is Mahatma Gandhi's name being removed. Mahatma Gandhi is considered the tallest leader not just in the country but in the world, so removing his name, I really don't understand what is the objective? What is their intention?" she told reporters in Parliament House complex.
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"Even when we are debating it is on other issues not the real issues of the people. Time is being wasted, money is being wasted, they are disrupting themselves," Priyanka Gandhi added.
The bill aims at establishing a "rural development framework aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047", by providing a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment in every financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work.
The bill has been listed in the Lok Sabha in the supplementary list of business issued on Monday.
Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in the statement of purpose of the Bill, said MGNREGA has provided guaranteed wage-employment to rural households over the past 20 years.
However, "further strengthening has become necessary in view of the significant socio-economic transformation witnessed in the rural landscape driven by widespread coverage of the social security interventions and saturation-oriented implementation of major government schemes", he said.
#WATCH | दिल्ली: कांग्रेस सांसद प्रियंका गांधी वाड्रा ने MGNREGA का नाम बदले जाने पर कहा, "...वे महात्मा गांधी का नाम क्यों हटा रहे हैं? वे इस देश के, इतिहास के और दुनिया के सबसे बड़े नेता माने जाते हैं। मुझे समझ नहीं आ रहा इसके पीछे इनकी(सरकार की) मंशा क्या है? सदन चल नहीं रहा।… pic.twitter.com/gp5wNLllDu
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