53 talukas declared drought affected in Karnataka, BJP surrounds Gadag!

The Karnataka government on Tuesday included Gadag taluka in the list of drought-hit areas. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara informed the Legislative Council that 53 more talukas have been added to the list of drought-affected areas, taking the total number of drought-affected talukas in the state to 177.

The BJP mocked the government, saying the government has added Gadag to the list after a warning from former minister and senior Congress MLA HK Patil. Patil had warned that he would resign from the assembly seat if his area was not declared drought-hit.

In the first phase, 101 talukas were declared drought-hit, with 23 more talukas included in the subsequent phases. With the addition of 53 new talukas, the total number has now reached 177.

Parameshwara said taluks which were not included in the list will also be considered for inclusion depending on the prevailing circumstances. “As per my knowledge, around 200 taluks will be declared drought-hit in the coming days,” he said.

During the proceedings, BJP MLC CT Ravi asked Parameshwara whether Gadag, represented by HK Patil, has been included in the latest list. Parmeshwar confirmed that Gadag has been included in the new list.

However, Parameshwara said the government cannot declare drought on the basis of warning of resignation of an MLA. His comments come amid growing discontent among some Congress MLAs over their constituencies being kept out of the drought-hit list.

Reacting to this development, CT Ravi criticized the government and said that MLAs are having to threaten to resign to get their respective taluks included in the drought-hit list.

Ravi also alleged that the government is doing politics regarding the declaration of drought-hit areas. Senior BJP MLC Basavaraj Horatti took a dig at the government and said that God somehow stopped HK Patil from resigning.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalvadi Narayanaswamy said the government should show concern towards the hardships of people in drought-hit areas. The opposition will continue to play its role of maintaining checks and balances on the government.

The inclusion of Gadag in the list comes amid differences within the ruling Congress over the criteria and procedure for declaring drought-hit taluks, with MLAs putting pressure on the government to include their respective constituencies in the list.