Siddaramaiah meets Shah, urges him to release drought relief funds

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday met Home Minister Amit Shah and asked him to release drought relief funds by convening a high-level committee meeting.

The Chief Minister submitted a three page letter to Amit Shah in which he said: “It is learned that the sub-committee of the National Executive Committee, chaired by the union Agriculture Secretary, met on November 13 and considered Karnataka’s memorandums and the report of the IMCT.

“The sub-committee, it is learnt, has submitted its report to the Ministry of Home, which is expected to place the same before the high-level committee which you chair.

“It is nearly three months since we submitted our first memorandum and two months since the Inter Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) made its field visits. The farmers of Karnataka are in deep distress. Since crops have failed, it is necessary that we pay the input subsidy to the farmers soon so as to alleviate their hardship and suffering.

“I earnestly look forward to a positive response and an early response and an early resolution to the above issues, in the interest of the farmers of Karnataka.”

The Chief Minister also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his office and sought immediate release of Rs 18,177.44 crore compensation package to tackle the drought situation in the state.