Overview
- Home Minister Priyank Kharge inspected withered fields at Aurad (B) and heard farmers’ pleas for compensation, including one who said she spent about ₹50,000 on inputs before losing her black gram crop.
- The state reports an approximate 75% rainfall deficit that officials link to a 'Super El Niño', and the chief minister has written to Delhi asking for relaxed NDRF norms to speed and broaden payouts.
- The State Cabinet will discuss the drought and mounting crop losses at its meeting on August 13 to consider relief measures and administrative steps.
- Officials have directed targeted relief actions in Kalaburagi, where the district received ₹650 crore in compensation last year, about 4.5 lakh farmers have enrolled in crop insurance so far, and the government has allocated ₹1 crore per assembly constituency plus an extra ₹5 crore for rural drinking water.
- District in-charge ministers must visit affected areas and submit reports, revenue and agriculture officials were ordered to plug gaps that left nearly 20% of gram panchayats unpaid last year, and district authorities were told to inspect hostels after students fell ill while the Agriculture Minister post is expected to be filled soon.