The Karnataka government on Friday announced an immediate input subsidy of Rs 2,500 for each drought-hit farmer, framing the move as a first-phase relief measure while the state waits for support from the Union government and a central assessment team. Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said the assistance would reach an estimated 45-50 lakh farmers and would cost the state exchequer about Rs 1,250 crore.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Parameshwara defended the decision against criticism that the amount was too small to meaningfully address the scale of the crisis. "Although National Disaster Response Force assistance from the Union Government is awaited, our government is providing immediate relief considering the distress faced by farmers," he said. He added that the state could not yet commit to a revised relief package because further measures would depend on what the Centre ultimately provides.
"The first-phase assistance of Rs 1,250 crore is not a small amount. Further measures will be taken in the coming days based on the relief received from the Union Government," he said, accusing the Opposition of "playing politics" by attacking the announcement as inadequate.
The announcement comes as Karnataka grapples with one of its most severe drought situations in recent years. Parameshwara said the total losses caused by drought in the state were likely to exceed Rs 40,000 crore, underscoring the gap between the immediate subsidy and the broader scale of damage to agriculture, livelihoods and rural incomes. The state has already submitted its first memorandum seeking assistance to the Centre, and additional memoranda will be sent in the coming days, he said.
Once the final assessment of losses is completed, Karnataka will submit its formal requirement for assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund guidelines, Parameshwara said. He indicated that the state's next steps would depend heavily on the findings of the central team expected to visit the drought-affected areas. The Union government has already written to the state about deputing a team, including an IAS officer, to assess the drought situation, though the date of the visit has not yet been finalised.
Parameshwara said the central assessment would be crucial in determining the extent of any additional relief. "Once the Central team assesses the drought situation and losses as per its guidelines, there would be greater clarity on the extent of further assistance," he said.
The deputy chief minister also pointed to the state's existing support to farmers, saying Karnataka was already spending about Rs 22,000 crore on power subsidies to provide free electricity to agricultural pump sets. That, he suggested, should be considered alongside the new drought relief package as evidence of the government's broader support for the farm sector.
The political dimension of the drought response was also visible in Parameshwara's remarks on a proposed all-party delegation to Delhi. He said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had already clarified the matter in the Legislative Assembly and that an all-party meeting would be convened so that everyone could be taken into confidence before the delegation travels to the national capital.
"The delegation would meet the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and Union Agriculture Minister to explain Karnataka's drought situation and the distress faced by farmers," he said. "If Opposition members are willing to join, the government is ready to take them along as well." The date of the visit has not yet been fixed.
The government's announcement reflects a familiar pattern in India's drought politics: states often move first with limited relief while pressing the Centre for larger disaster assistance, and the final package depends on official damage assessments and intergovernmental negotiations. For Karnataka, where farm distress has intensified under rain failure and crop losses, the immediate subsidy may offer some short-term relief, but the larger test will be whether central aid matches the scale of the losses now being projected.