86 taluks of state drought-hit: R.V. Deshpande
‘Crops worth Rs 8K crore damaged due to scanty rainfall’
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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“Full prepared..going to win,” Congress MP KC Venugopal ahead of Kerala polls
EC not functioning as a neutral institution: Venugopal
Congress MP K. C. Venugopal on Monday raised concerns over the election schedule announced by the Election Commission of India for the upcoming Kerala Assembly election, questioning the timing of the poll dates and alleging that the schedule leaves limited time for campaigning.
Speaking to news agency ANI in Delhi after the poll panel announced elections in five states and Union Territories, Venugopal said that the Congress and the United Democratic Front (UDF) are fully prepared for the elections and confident of victory. At the same time, he questioned the pattern of dates announced by the Election Commission.
“We are fully prepared, we are going to win the elections... You can see how the Election Commission has set the dates. The first phase of elections is on the 9th, nominations are due until the 23rd, scrutiny is on the 24th, nominations can be withdrawn until the 26th, and after that, there are 11 days for campaigning,” he said.
“As for Kerala, there is Easter and Good Friday in the first week...The Election Commission could have announced the dates earlier... The counting date is on May 4th, so what was the point of holding elections in Kerala so early? What is their intention behind holding elections on the same day in Kerala, Puducherry, and Assam?... We are confident that we will win, but the people of the country are seeing the biased attitude of the Election Commission...,” he added.
He further stated that his party was ready for elections irrespective of the dates announced by the poll body.
“We are going to win the election. India's strategy has been set up. And we are all ready for winning this election. But one thing as far as declaring election, even though they are giving only for five days, we are going to win the election. We have no problem,” he said.
Detailing the poll schedule while questioning the time available for campaigning, he stated, “but you can see the pattern of date which the election commission announced. Yesterday they declared election, and today they notified us. The first phase of election on April 9th, filing of nomination will be over on the 23rd of this month, 24th scrutiny, 26th withdrawal of nomination. After 26, four plus seven, 11 days campaign.”
“As far as Kerala is concerned, April first week is a holy week. The holiday week means, Good Friday is there. Nobody will do anything on Good Friday. Easter is the big festival. These festivals are natural, you have to see that. Among the 11 days, working days, two, three days will go for holidays. Then hardly seven, eight days for campaigning in this election for candidates,” the Congress MP questioned.
The Congress leader said the Election Commission could have announced the dates earlier if there was a need for an early election schedule.
Questioning the urgency behind placing Kerala in the first phase of polling, he added that the counting date is much later.
“Which is the date of counting? Fourth May. Then what is the urgency of putting Kerala in the first phase without giving sufficient time for candidates? And putting Kerala, Puducherry, Assam together, what is the intention behind that?” Venugopal questioned.
He also alleged that the Election Commission was not functioning as a neutral institution.
“The Election commission is completely losing that capacity as a neutral player. You can see 14 of our prime minister's programs over and on the 15th they announce the election, 16th notification comes,” he said.
Venugopal further stated that such tactics would not affect the Congress’ prospects in the election.
“They think that this type of techniques and tactics, because of these techniques and tactics, UDF is going to lose, and Congress is going to lose. This is their complete dream only. This is not going to happen. We are very much confident at any cost, whether they are not giving any time also, we are going to win the election,” he said.
“But the people of India are watching this. The tricks of the election commission. To restrict the campaign, people of India are watching. This I want to bring into the notice of the nation. That's all,” Venugopal said.
The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced the schedule for the Kerala Assembly election. Polling in the state will be held in a single phase on April 9 while the counting of votes is scheduled to take place on May 4.
