Bengaluru, Oct 29 — The Karnataka government has issued an order on Thursday sanctioning the release of Rs 2,500 as the first instalment of drought relief to farmers in drought-hit taluks across the state.
The decision follows the assurance given by the government during a recent special session of the legislature to extend financial assistance to farmers affected by drought due to inadequate rainfall.
The government had decided to provide Rs 2,500 to each eligible farmer. However, the announcement drew criticism from farmers and political leaders, who argued that the amount was insufficient and demanded compensation of Rs 25,000.
Amid the criticism, the government has now issued an order authorising the release of the relief amount.
Of the 240 taluks in Karnataka, 226 have been declared drought-hit. Instead of waiting for the release of funds under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) by the Union government, the state government has decided to provide the first instalment of assistance from its own State Disaster Response Fund.
Eligible farmers will receive Rs 2,500 each as the first instalment of drought relief.
The government has clarified that farmers need not submit separate applications to receive the assistance. Beneficiaries will be identified directly using data from the Farmer Registration and Unified Beneficiary Information System (FRUITS) software maintained by the e-governance department and the Kharif crop survey database.
The relief amount is intended to provide immediate assistance to farmers facing losses due to drought. The government has opted for a direct benefit transfer mechanism to credit the amount to the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries.
The move comes amid continuing demands from farmers for higher compensation to address the financial distress caused by the drought.
V. Sunil Kumar, BJP MLA from Karkala and former Karnataka Minister, said: “The state government is resorting to a cruel mockery of farmers suffering from drought under the pretext of providing relief. By imposing 17 conditions to grant Rs 2,500 in compensation, the government has exposed its commitment to the farming community."
After officially declaring 226 taluks as drought-hit, it is the government's duty to provide relief to farmers without discrimination. This is all the more necessary after the government gave an assurance to this effect in both Houses of the legislature. Failing to honour that assurance would amount to a breach of the privileges of the legislature, he said.
It is shameful that the government has imposed 17 conditions for providing relief. If it genuinely intends to provide compensation, it should extend it to everyone without any conditions. Otherwise, it should admit that this is all a ‘zero-balance government’ can afford to do, he charged.
Rs 2,500 drought relief announced by the Karnataka government is a flat, one-time payment per farmer (family). The state government had made the announcement in late September 2026 during the tenure of former CM Siddaramaiah. It covers an estimated 45 lakh to 50 lakh drought-affected farmers across drought-declared taluks with a total state allocation of around Rs 1,250 crore.
Opposition leaders and farmer organisations (such as the BJP led by R. Ashoka and youth groups) criticised the Rs 2,500 amount as a "pittance" and demanded per-acre compensation of Rs 25,000 instead of a flat per-farmer payout.