Over 17 lakh Karnataka farmers to get Rs 3,000 each

BENGALURU: As Narendra Modi signed a file clearing PM Kissan Nidhi instalment after taking oath as prime minister, the Karnataka government on Monday decided to release Rs 3,000 each to over 17.09 lakh small farmers.

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda told reporters that a list of beneficiary farmers is getting ready. This will be a compensation. “Farmers depending on rain and those in the tail-end regions of canals where water supply is poor will get this compensation,” he said.

At a Cabinet sub-committee meeting, the decision to pay Rs 3,000 to each farmer was taken. “Because of the model code of conduct for LS and Council elections, we could not take this decision,” he said.

“NDRF has released Rs 232 crore, which is not sufficient. Hence, we added Rs 232 crore more from SDRF,” the minister said.

Apart from this compensation, farmers will be given crop insurance money. “A sum of Rs 1,654 crore has been paid and Rs 136 crore is yet to be released,” he said.

The minister said the state received excess rain after the arrival of the monsoon on June 1. This has eased the drinking water crisis to an extent. “We have directed the officials to take precautionary measures in places where it is raining heavily,” he added.