Karnataka Receives Drought Relief Fund Of Rs 3,500 Crore, Days After State Govt Moves SC

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In order to replenish the parched groundwater conditions, the central government has agreed to release the drought relief fund to Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramiah announced on Saturday. Following the Supreme Court’s intervention, the Union Finance Ministry agreed to release funds for calamity relief, and the state will receive Rs 3,498.82 crore for drought relief.

This development comes after the Siddaramiah government and the centre engaged in an extensive legal battle over the disaster relief funds, which included numerous petitions.

Siddaramaiah took to his social media handle X, and wrote, “This is perhaps the first time in the history of India that a state was driven to the Supreme Court to get its rights enforced.”

The CM took a jibe at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and said, “The Home Minister finally woke up after the Supreme Court rang the bell.”

The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the Supreme Court. Siddaramaiah asserted, however, that the sanction was inadequate. Siddaramaiah described the amount released as “woefully inadequate,” claiming that the state had requested Rs 18,000 crore and received Rs 3498.98 crore.

In an effort to help the state become more resilient to the crisis, the Karnataka government asked the Supreme Court in March of this year to order the Centre to release money from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

Siddaramaiah and Union Home Minister Amit Shah argued on the matter earlier this month. While Shah pointed the finger at the Congress government in the state for its tardiness in submitting the proposal for a relief fund, Siddaramaiah charged that the BJP-led government at Centre had betrayed and treated the people of the state unfairly.

It was reported that in March this year, Bengaluru experienced a severe water shortage of 500 million litres per day (MLD) as compared to the actual requirement of 2,600 MLDs. According to reports, 6,900 of Bengaluru’s 14,000 borewells have dried up.

source: Jagran English

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