Karnataka govt. to call special legislature session on Kasturirangan report

Reiterating Karnataka’s opposition to the Kasturirangan report, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday announced a special session of the legislature to discuss the consequences of implementing the report and pass a resolution in this regard.

“The Centre has notified the draft, and we have to file our objection. The draft notification has shocked us. We will call a special session, pass a resolution against it and send it to the Centre,” Mr. Shivakumar told presspersons here.

Pointing to an earlier Cabinet decision of September 2024 that rejected the report, he said: “Under the Siddaramaiah-led government, the Cabinet had rejected it. It was not considered by the Centre and it has now unilaterally notified the draft.”

In Karnataka, according to him, livelihood and farming will be affected in 1,449 villages, 33 taluks and 10 districts, which spans 20,668 square kilometres.

“A delegation will be taken to the Centre to seek financial assistance soon after the declaration of drought,” he said, Taluks will be declared drought-hit as and when the reports are received for the rest of the taluks, he added.

The Chief Minister, who held meetings with party legislators from across the State since Tuesday, said that several issues including drought, irrigation projects, new schemes, constituency development, guarantee beneficiaries review, SIR and Prajaseve Department were discussed, and opinion from legislators was also sought.

“Prajaseve Department will be headed by an Additional Chief Secretary, and we have asked Ministers to visit taluks on the first and the third Saturdays of every month to hear complaints and redress grievances. Over the next 18 months, all 224 constituencies will be covered and it will be taken to hobli level too. Legislators have been asked to follow up at the panchayat level,” the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Shivakumar said that 50,000 sites will be distributed in every district for the poor, and government land is being identified.

Elections to several urban and rural local bodies, including five corporations in Greater Bengaluru Authority region, could be held before the year-end. Referring to the Supreme Court, Mr. Shivakumar said that corporation elections are to be held before December.

“Soon after the SIR, we will be writing to the State Election Commission to hold elections in November,” he added. “Because of the delay in elections, problems have arisen in devolution of grants and receiving central assistance,” he said.