BANGALORE: The state has sought Rs 732-crore immediate assistance from the Union government to mitigate the drought situation in the state.In a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Tuesday, CM D V Sadananda Gowda requested the former to send a central study team to assess the drought situation besides seeking central assistance.As many as 99 taluks in 23 districts had received less rainfall thus forcing the state to declare them as drought hit, the CM said while putting the losses due to the drought at Rs 4,544 crore.“It is becoming extremely difficult for the state government to cope-up with the prevailing situation without financial assistance from the Centre,” the CM said while requesting for early release of Rs 723 crore from NDRF to take up relief measures.In another letter to Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the CM has urged for the restoration of import duty on raw silk to its earlier rate of 30 per cent.“Due to the cut on import duty from 30 to 5 per cent, the prices of raw cocoons and raw silk have literally crashed in the domestic market. This has resulted in distress sale and angry protests from the farmers who are into the mulberry cultivation,” the CM said while demanding its intervention.
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