Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday warned that the state could face a severe drought this year and urged farmers not to rely on water from reservoirs for sowing crops. He advised them to plan cultivation based on rainfall conditions, while assuring that the government is making all necessary arrangements to provide fodder and drinking water for livestock.

Addressing a press conference after the Cabinet meeting at Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar said inflows into most reservoirs have almost stopped, with water levels in major dams including Tungabhadra, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Narayanpur, Vani Vilas, Hemavathi, Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS), and Kabini significantly lower than last year. He cautioned that the situation could worsen if adequate rainfall is not received in the coming days.

He appealed to farmers not to pressure the government to release irrigation water from reservoirs and said district ministers have been instructed to prepare drought-management plans, ensure the availability of fodder and drinking water, and drill borewells wherever necessary. He also announced that he would personally visit different parts of the state to review the situation.

The Deputy Chief Minister also announced that the deadline for residential property owners to submit documents and photographs for electricity connections has been extended until August 15, 2026. However, he clarified that commercial buildings would not be covered under the relaxation due to Supreme Court directions.

BLOs Must Visit Every Home

Shivakumar said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls must be completed before the Karnataka Legislature’s monsoon session is convened. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 5, after which the Assembly session is likely to be held in the first or second week of August.

He made it clear that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) alone are legally authorised to distribute voter enumeration forms door-to-door. Distributing forms collectively at marriage halls or other public venues is illegal and will not be permitted, irrespective of whether political workers or public representatives are involved.

He added that the government is committed to protecting every citizen’s voting rights and will establish help centres at every ward and polling booth to assist voters during the revision process.

‘Praja Seva’ Department to Address Public Grievances

The government will launch a new “Praja Seva” department to strengthen public grievance redressal. Under the initiative, district in-charge ministers will spend two days every month hearing public complaints in different Assembly constituencies, with officials from all concerned departments present to resolve issues on the spot.

Opposition to Power Distribution Privatisation

Shivakumar reiterated the government’s opposition to the privatisation of electricity distribution. He said all ESCOMs have been instructed to register the state’s objections before the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC).

He also stated that implementing the Centre’s Gram G Scheme would impose an additional annual financial burden of ₹3,806 crore on Karnataka, but the state would comply with court directions.

Major Cabinet Approvals

The Cabinet approved several key welfare and infrastructure proposals, including:

• ₹26 crore for a children’s eye-care programme.
• ₹98.5 crore for the Bilagi Lift Irrigation Project in Bagalkot district.
• ₹320 crore for Phase I of the PM MITRA Textile Park in Kalaburagi.
• ₹26 crore to develop a Tree Park on 60 acres of NGF land.
• ₹33 crore for sports uniforms and educational kits for minority students.
• ₹30 crore for a Common Facility Centre at the Devanahalli Aerospace Park.

Encroachment Drive and Transport Fare Review

The Deputy Chief Minister said the ongoing removal of footpath encroachments is being carried out in compliance with Supreme Court directions. At the same time, alternative locations will be provided to street vendors to protect their livelihoods.

He also said that any decision on increasing public transport fares would be taken only after the government receives a report from the concerned department.