Raichur: The state government has urged the Centre for Rs. 3700 Crore for relief work in drought-hit areas, Minister for Agriculture Krishna Byre Gowda said here on Sunday.
Addressing the media at the University of Agricultural Sciences, he mentioned that the funds had been sought as per the directives of National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). “A preliminary survey has assessed that there is a loss of standing crops worth over Rs. 12,000 crore due to heat stress caused by the lack of rain. A detailed report on the same will be submitted to the Centre on November 14”, he added.
At the same time additional assistance from the union government too had been sought to compensate the farmers who had lost their crops to the recent floods. The flood relief measure follows the loss of crop worth Rs. 380 crore in the four districts due to incessant rains, Gowda disclosed.
Farm and Machinery Centres to Double
“Currently there are 150 farm equipment and machinery centres functioning across the State. The government is committed to increase the number to 300 this year. Each centre requires an investment of around Rs. 75 lakh. We are implementing the project by involving private partners”, Byre Gowda said.
This step is being taken to support the development of small and marginalised farmers with small holdings and they can also get farm machinery and equipment on rent whenever they needed them, he added.
P M Salimath, Vice-Chancellor of University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur; Pratap Gowda Patil, MLA from Maski; M Kiran Kumar, Joint Director of Agriculture and others were present.
