Guarantee schemes will cushion drought impact on farmers, poor: Siddaramaiah

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launching a series of development works in the Varuna Assembly constituency on Monday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said the guarantee schemes implemented by the Congress government in Karnataka would help cushion the impact of the severe drought on farmers and economically disadvantaged people.

Speaking after inaugurating development works in the Varuna Assembly constituency at Dasanur in Nanjangud taluk near here, Mr. Siddaramaiah said 217 of the State’s 240 taluks had been declared drought-hit.

Reservoirs across the State had not filled to capacity owing to inadequate rainfall, affecting Karnataka’s ability to release the stipulated quantity of water to Tamil Nadu, he said.

Claiming that Karnataka had received its lowest rainfall in decades, the former Chief Minister said farmers and economically disadvantaged families would have faced much greater hardship during the drought had the government not implemented the guarantee schemes.