Karnataka Minister Directs Swift Relief in Drought-Affected Yadgir
Medical Education Minister and Yadgir district in-charge Sharan Prakash Patil on August 5 directed officials from the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) and other departments to urgently address the drought situation and drinking water scarcity across rural and urban areas of the district.
Chairing a drought review meeting in Yadgir, Dr. Patil made his maiden visit to the district since being tasked by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to assess the ground situation.
Reviewing facts and figures related to the crisis, Dr. Patil instructed Revenue and Agriculture Department officials to submit a comprehensive report on crop damage caused by prolonged dry spells. This will enable the district administration to initiate relief measures without delay.
The meeting witnessed a heated exchange when Gurmitkal MLA Sharanagowda Kandkur strongly complained against Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Lavish Ordia and Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs) for failing to answer phone calls from people's representatives and the general public.
"People used to call me directly whenever they faced problems in rural areas. If officers refuse to answer calls, where should the people and I go?" Mr. Kandkur said. Dr. Patil stepped in to pacify the MLA, but Mr. Kandkur continued to highlight administrative lapses until former minister and MLA Sharanabasappa Darshanapur intervened to end the exchange.
Addressing the drinking water scarcity, Dr. Patil instructed the administration to appoint dedicated nodal officers at both district and taluk levels to handle complaints and resolve supply disruptions without delay.
"There is no dearth of funds to tackle the drinking water crisis and drought conditions in Yadgir," the Minister said. "The Chief Minister has sanctioned ₹1 crore specifically to address emergency water shortage by drilling new borewells and installing reverse osmosis (RO) purification plants at key locations. Officers must work proactively to ensure no region suffers from a shortage."
Mr. Ordia explained that drinking water is being supplied to 33 villages from 45 rented borewells. Action was initiated to prevent false attendance by PDOs, and complaints against them have reduced drastically after this initiative, he added.
Joint Director of Agriculture Department Ratendranath Sugur briefed about crop loss. He reported a 25% deficit in rain in June, July and August, and so far, 75% sowing has been recorded across the district.
The issue of repeated power cuts was also discussed. All four district MLAs — Sharanagowda Kandkur, Sharanabasappa Darshanapur, Channareddy Patil Tunnur, and Raja Venugopal Naik — sharply criticised the Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company (GESCOM) for frequent power failures and delays in repairing burnt transformers. In response, Dr. Patil issued a strict 24-hour deadline to GESCOM officials to resolve all power grid issues and restore steady electricity.
Later in the meeting, the Minister reviewed the progress of various ongoing development works across departments.
Nijasharana Ambigara Chowdaiah Development Corporation Chairperson Baburao Chinchansur, Deputy Commissioner Rahul Pandve, ZP CEO Lavish Ordia, and senior district officials attended the meeting.
