Kudligi (Vijayanagara): Emotional scenes marked minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan’s drought assessment tour in Vijayanagara district as distressed farmers narrated their losses and sought immediate govt support after crops withered due to monsoon failure.“We pawned our gold, borrowed money and invested everything in cultivation. With no rains, our crops have dried up. We are struggling to survive and request the government to help us,” farmers from Kudligi taluk told the minister.Zameer inspected drought-hit areas to assess crop damage caused by prolonged dry spells and moisture stress. Kudligi MLA Dr NT Srinivas informed him that thousands of hectares of farmland had been affected.Farmers urged the govt to declare Kudligi taluk drought-hit and release compensation without delay.Responding to their concerns, Zameer said the situation would be reviewed by the govt and necessary action on drought declaration would be taken as per rules after Aug 15.The minister also sought details on crop insurance coverage. Officials said technical issues prevented some farmers from enrolling. Zameer assured that insured farmers would receive compensation as per norms.
