From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Dec 14: The State Government has released Rs 965.09 crore to various departments and different schemes for implementing drought relief measures on a war-footing in 99 drought-hit taluks.

Funds have been released for supplying drinking water, to provide jobs under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to prevent migration, for digging borewells and supply fodder, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda informed the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister was replying to a debate on drought situation in State in the Legislative Assembly.

Meetings of task forces headed by MLAs were held in 15 districts and directions have been issued to Deputy Commissioners to hold meeting in rest of the districts soon. In districts where officials are not holding meetings, he said asking the MLAs to take initiatives in convening meetings of task forces and expedite execution of relief works.

A sum of Rs 153.49 crore and Rs. 456.26 crore is available with Deputy Commissioners and under the job scheme, respectively. A sum of Rs 36 crore released for executing drinking water supply works, and Rs 42 lakh for supply of seeds for growing fodder.

The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Department would take up drinking water supply works costing Rs 52 crore in drought-prone villages, he said.

A central team arrived in the State on Wednesday to assess the impact of drought in parts of Karnataka, where the Government has declared 99 taluks as drought-hit.

Gowda said once the team submits the report to the Centre after its two-day visit, the State Government would take out an all-party delegation to the Union Government to press for grant of funds towards drought-relief works.

He announced sanctioning of Rs 36 crore for drilling borewells in drought-hit areas.

The Chief Minister said the crop loss was to the tune of Rs 4,544.84 crore as on October end. As per the Central norms, a memorandum has been submitted to the Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar seeking additional relief funds of Rs 723.24 crore.

He listed various steps taken by the Government from early October towards drought-relief works.

Gowda said 956 farmers have killed themselves in the State since 2008 but added such suicides have come down ''significantly” in recent months.

He gave farmers’ suicide figures of the neighbouring Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to suggest that such numbers were lower in Karnataka.