CH NEWS, GADAG
Following immense political pressure and a resignation threat from senior legislator H.K. Patil, the state government has officially declared Gadag taluk drought-hit, prompting local party leaders to demand immediate disbursement of financial compensation for distressed farmers.
Addressing reporters on Tuesday, Congress leader Krishna H. Hadapad expressed indignation over the initial exclusion of Gadag taluk on technical grounds, characterizing the move as an administrative betrayal of cultivators and agrarian workers. Hadapad questioned the state government’s continuous neglect of Gadag district, particularly after Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar conducted a ground assessment across the taluk earlier this month and directly witnessed the extent of severe crop failure.
Hadapad noted that Gadag’s inclusion in the drought list was not an act of spontaneous administrative goodwill, but the direct outcome of veteran MLA H.K. Patil’s resolute agitation. Patil had warned the state leadership that he was prepared to forfeit his legislative seat if the administration failed to rectify the injustice facing local farmers. Expressing gratitude on behalf of the taluk, Hadapad hailed Patil’s willingness to prioritize agrarian livelihoods over political office.
Stressing that government declarations must not remain confined to official paperwork, Hadapad urged the administration to promptly submit a comprehensive ground-truthing survey to the Union government to mobilize central relief funds without procedural delay.
Furthermore, he highlighted that local cultivators, who have engaged in sustained agitations and submitted repeated petitions, are yet to receive compensation for previous crop losses. Joining hands with farmer organizations and civic representatives, Hadapad urged the government to club all pending backlogs with the newly declared drought package and immediately disburse relief funds directly to affected agricultural families across Gadag.
