Karnataka’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Saturday that the central government has agreed to disburse drought relief funds to address the state’s parched groundwater conditions. Karnataka is set to receive Rs 3,498.82 crore for this purpose, following the Union Finance Ministry’s decision to release funds for calamity relief, prompted by the Supreme Court’s intervention.
This development marks the end of protracted legal battles and a series of petitions as the Siddaramaiah government vigorously pursued the release of disaster relief funds from the central government. Siddaramaiah took to social media platform X to express his views, stating, “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.”
Critiquing the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the CM remarked, “The Home Minister finally woke up after the Supreme Court rang the bell.” While expressing gratitude to the Supreme Court, Siddaramaiah also highlighted that the sanctioned amount fell far short of the state’s requirements. Despite requesting Rs 18,000 crore, the state received only Rs 3,498.98 crore, which Siddaramaiah deemed “woefully inadequate.”
Earlier this year in March, the Karnataka government approached the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre to release funds from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to bolster the state’s capacity to address the crisis.
Recent disputes between Siddaramaiah and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over this issue have escalated tensions. Siddaramaiah accused the BJP-led central government of betraying and neglecting the state’s populace, while Shah blamed the delay on the Congress-led state government’s failure to promptly submit proposals for relief funds.
Reports indicate that Bengaluru faced a severe water shortage in March, with a deficit of 500 million litres of water per day (MLD) compared to the required 2,600 MLD. Out of 14,000 borewells in Bengaluru, approximately 6,900 were reportedly dry.
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