Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah seeking their intervention in providing help for drought-affected Karnataka.

In his letter, Mr. Kharge said that Karnataka is staring at what could perhaps be the worst drought in 150 years and facing such a drought is impossible without adequate help from the Centre. He made specific requests, including focus on the State’s small and marginal farmers and the dry Hyderabad-Karnataka belt.

Mr. Kharge asked Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah to calculate input subsidy based on Karnataka’s updated Bhoomi land records rather than the outdated 2015-16 Agriculture Census, so that no genuinely eligible farmer is excluded. “Provide enhanced support for drinking water security and the cost of substitute power, particularly in view of historically low reservoir levels in the Cauvery and hydel catchments,” he further said.