Bengaluru, Nov 10 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara on Tuesday assured drought-affected farmers that the state government would provide a minimum assistance of Rs 5,000 to every eligible farmer, clarifying that those who received Rs 2,000 or Rs 2,500 in the first instalment would receive the remaining amount in subsequent payments.
Addressing concerns over drought relief payments, Parameshwara said the state government was committed to ensuring that assistance reached every deserving farmer with dignity, fairness and transparency.
He added that concerns had been raised after some farmers received Rs 2,000 instead of the expected Rs 2,500 under the first instalment of drought relief.
However, he stressed that the amount received by those farmers was not their final assistance.
“The Government has decided to provide a minimum of Rs 5,000 to every eligible drought-affected farmer, and this commitment will be honoured,” Parameshwara said.
The Deputy Chief Minister added that through a government order dated October 23, 2026, the state government had authorised the release of Rs 2,500 per eligible farmer as the first instalment of input subsidy.
Accordingly, the state government launched the distribution of Rs 17.43 crore to 1,06,462 farmers in Yadgir district on November 5 as part of the state’s drought relief programme.
Parameshwara said he subsequently reviewed concerns raised by farmers, particularly those with smaller agricultural holdings, and examined the provisions governing the payment of assistance.
“Under the prevailing SDRF and NDRF guidelines drafted by the Union government, input subsidy for crop losses is calculated on the basis of the extent and category of agricultural land,” he added.
The prescribed minimum assistance under the existing norms is Rs 1,500 for rainfed crops, Rs 2,600 for irrigated crops and Rs 3,200 for perennial crops.
However, Parameshwara said Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and he had taken a conscious decision to go beyond these minimum norms and provide Rs 5,000 as minimum crop-loss assistance to every eligible farmer, irrespective of the size of their agricultural holding.
“A farmer cultivating half an acre suffers from the same drought, the same uncertainty and the same financial distress as a farmer cultivating several acres. The size of a farmer’s landholding should never determine the compassion of a government,” he added.
Clarifying the variation in the first instalment payments, Parameshwara said that farmers who had received Rs 2,000 would get the remaining Rs 3,000 in the subsequent instalment.
“Similarly, farmers who had received Rs 2,500 would receive another Rs 2,500, ensuring that the total assistance reached Rs 5,000.”
The Deputy Chief Minister added that Rs 5,000 was the minimum assistance being provided by the state government and that eligible farmers could receive enhanced input subsidy ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 60,000, depending on the extent of crop loss and the applicable norms.
Parameshwara said he had directed the officials concerned to ensure complete transparency in the payment process and to release the remaining instalments expeditiously.
“No eligible farmer should be deprived of the assistance due to them,” he said, adding that state government guidelines should serve the interests of farmers and should not become obstacles to delivering relief.
He said the state government would take necessary decisions to protect farmers’ interests wherever existing norms were inadequate to address the hardship caused by the drought.
Appealing to farmers not to be misled by rumours or misinformation, Parameshwara added that there was a fundamental difference between raising genuine concerns about farmers’ welfare and deliberately presenting an interim payment as the final assistance.
He also urged opposition leaders to act responsibly and not exploit the difficulties faced by farmers for political advantage.
“The Chief Minister and I do not shy away from acknowledging grievances. On the contrary, we welcome them,” he said.
Parameshwara assured that if any eligible farmer had received less than the assistance due or faced difficulties in receiving subsequent payments, the matter would be examined and corrective action taken without unnecessary delay.
He said that farmers needed timely assistance, financial security and the confidence that their government stood beside them, rather than political accusations.
Reiterating the state government’s commitment, Parameshwara said every eligible farmer would receive a minimum of Rs 5,000, with the remaining instalments to be released on time and without excluding farmers merely because they owned small landholdings.
“Farmers deserve relief, not rumours; reassurance, not confusion; and dignity, not uncertainty. That is the commitment of our Government, and we will fulfil it,” he added.
–IANS
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