Karnataka CM seeks PM’s help to expedite drought relief, provide fair price for sugarcane

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expedite drought relief and raised several demands related to clearances and funding of infrastructure projects during events in Bengaluru and Mysuru on Friday, November 13. Modi did not publicly respond to the demands at either event.At a gathering at the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore, Shivakumar said that 226 of the state’s 240 taluks had been declared drought-affected and nearly 58 lakh hectares of crops damaged. He put the estimated loss at Rs 62,482 crore and sought the release of Rs 22,400.58 crore in assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund. He also offered to lead an all-party delegation to meet the Prime Minister on the state’s agricultural concerns.CM Shivakumar raised the demands of sugarcane farmers, who are seeking Rs 5,500 per tonne for the 2026–27 season, against the fair and remunerative price of Rs 3,650 per tonne. He also called for a revision of the minimum support price of sugar, which he said had remained at Rs 31 per kg since 2019, and sought a fair share of ethanol allocation for Karnataka.The CM also sought the Union’s clearances for the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project. He urged the Union government to withdraw the recommendations of the Kasturirangan report, noting that the Karnataka legislature had unanimously opposed them after consultations in affected regions.Again at the inauguration of the Bengaluru Metro’s Pink Line, CM Shivakumar said that Karnataka was bearing more than 80% of the project’s financial burden, despite a proposed 50:50 partnership with the Union. He asked the Union government to share operational losses and foreign exchange risks linked to external loans, and to expedite approval for the proposed Red Line connecting Sarjapur and Hebbal. The project has been awaiting clearance for nearly two years, he said.He also called for metro project estimates to reflect the needs and costs of individual cities, proposed double-decker infrastructure where feasible, and suggested establishing a dedicated technical institution for metro projects. The Karnataka CM further sought an advisory from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to align companies’ corporate social responsibility initiatives with Karnataka’s guidelines for upgrading government schools.