Bengaluru, November 5 — Karnataka has approved up to ₹5,000 in drought relief for eligible farmers and begun releasing the first instalment of ₹2,500. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar launched the payments at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday alongside Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara. The interim subsidy is intended to help farmers whose crops were damaged during the monsoon.
The state will send the money directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts through Aadhaar-based transfers. Officials will use records from the Parihara portal, the digital crop survey and the FRUITS farmer database to verify eligibility. The Chief Minister’s Office said farmers would receive the assistance without having to submit paper documents or visit government offices.
Karnataka has declared 226 taluks drought-affected. The state is financing the initial payments from its own resources while awaiting assistance from the Centre. Shivakumar said Karnataka had sought about ₹22,400 crore in central drought assistance and had submitted its assessment of crop damage and losses.
The rollout is proceeding in phases. Shivakumar said the first instalment had been released for eligible farmers in Yadgir, while officials were preparing payment files for 15 other districts. He said the state planned to release the second ₹2,500 instalment within 15 to 20 days.