Yadgir Farmers Demand Full Drought Pay After Receiving Shortened Funds

Farmers in Yadgir district have given the State government a one-week deadline to fix errors in drought relief payments after receiving much less money than promised. Social activist Umesh Mudnal stated during a Wednesday press conference that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar promised a first payment of ₹2,500 per acre through direct transfer, with a second ₹2,500 installment to follow in 15 days. Instead of the full amount, most farmers found only ₹1,200, ₹1,500, or ₹2,000 deposited in their bank accounts. Mr. Mudnal warned that farmers will start a wide protest if authorities fail to correct the mistakes and pay the full balance within seven days. He also blamed local officials in the Revenue and Agriculture departments for failing to carry out proper ground surveys to measure the real crop damage.

Local Impact

Srishail, a farmer from Saidapur village, told reporters that he received only ₹1,500 instead of the announced ₹2,500. He explained that long dry spells and severe drought completely destroyed the cotton crop on his 10-acre dryland farm. Other local farmers named Mahesh, Yallesh, Hanumanth, and Shivakumar also attended the press briefing to support the demand for fair relief.

Context

Direct benefit transfer systems are meant to send relief funds straight to bank accounts without middlemen, but technical or administrative errors can sometimes lead to reduced payouts. Agricultural communities in regions prone to dry weather rely heavily on government support when extreme weather ruins their harvests.