Kharge asks Centre to release Rs 18,171 crore for Karnataka drought relief

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday asked the Central government to release Rs 18,171 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for Karnataka, ravaged by the impact of severe drought.

Raising the issue in the House of Representatives during the Zero Hour, the Congress president said Karnataka is grappling with the worst drought in 123 years and crop damage is estimated at over Rs 35,162 crore.

According to him, damage to crops ranges from 40 to 90 percent.

Kharge said the state government has sought Rs 18,171 crore from the NDRF to help the affected people.

“This financial support is crucial for providing input subsidies, unnecessary relief and implementing other immediate growth measures due to low rainfall (in Karnataka),” the senior Congress leader said.

He further stressed that water levels in several reservoirs have reached alarmingly low levels and there may also be a shortage of drinking water in the coming days.

Kharge also spoke about the flood situations in certain parts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai. He also accused the BJP of not paying attention to the problems people are facing as they have “won elections”.

Meanwhile, Congress' Amee Yajnik said the issue of women's safety was raised and demanded that all relevant laws be strictly implemented. She said violence against women in public spaces has a major detrimental effect on the development of a country and its economy.

Rajya Sabha BJP member Ashok Bajpai highlighted the issues related to safety and security of doctors on duty. He said there are around 25 lakh doctors in the country who are doing phenomenal work and mentioned their work during the Covid pandemic.

He suggested that while health is a state subject, the Center could come up with a model law and set up medical tribunals to help doctors facing cases.

Congressman Rajeev Shukla raised the issue of the plight of people lodged in the country's prisons and demanded judicial reforms to address the matter. His party colleague Imran Pratapgarhi said the government should focus on improving facilities in trains.