Karnataka Estimates ₹18,000 Crore Drought Losses, Launches 'Negila Yogi' Scheme for Small Farmers

The Karnataka government has pegged the initial financial losses due to severe drought and widespread crop damage at ₹18,000 crore across 101 declared drought-hit taluks. Briefing reporters following a cabinet meeting in Bengaluru, Deputy Chief Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar stated that the state is preparing its first formal memorandum to seek financial assistance from the Central Government under National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) guidelines. Additional taluks are expected to be added to the drought-affected list in the coming days as ground-truthing assessments wrap up across vulnerable agrarian belts. To assist distressed smallholders who have been forced to leave their land fallow, the state cabinet approved the 'Chief Minister's Negila Yogi Scheme' with an initial sanction of ₹152 crore. Under this initiative, the state government will rent private tractors in villages to provide free mechanized land tilling for small and marginal farmers owning three acres or less. Additionally, the government approved the 'Tega (Teak) Siri' project with an outlay of ₹493 crore. Under this scheme, the Forest Department will plant teak saplings on land adjacent to roads, granting roadside farmers a 'tree patta' that guarantees them a 70 percent share of the profits when the timber matures and is sold.