Karnataka seeks Rs 1,545 crore Central aid for post-monsoon rebuilding

The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday decided to submit a 'recovery and construction' memorandum to the Centre seeking Rs 1,545.23 crore in financial assistance under the NDRF (National Disaster Response Fund) to rebuild infrastructure damaged during this year’s monsoon.

Briefing reporters, law and parliamentary affairs minister H.K. Patil said the state has suffered infrastructure and public property losses worth more than Rs 5,000 crore, excluding crop damage. Roads, bridges, check dams and public buildings were among the worst-hit assets.

“As per NDRF norms, the funds we may get is about Rs 1,545 crore, so we will submit a memorandum seeking assistance from the Government of India. Such assistance has been provided to states like Maharashtra in the past. We will be seeking this time. This is the first time we are asking,” Patil said.

He added that joint inspections for crop-loss assessment are under way. “Once that is over, relief will be provided to farmers with the funds available with the state government. We expect crop-loss relief from the Centre as per norms,” he noted.

The cabinet also cleared the establishment of eight Technology Business Incubators 2.0 under the Karnataka Startup Policy 2022-27, with a total allocation of Rs 80 crore over five years. Each incubator will receive Rs 10 crore.

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For Bengaluru, the cabinet approved an action plan for ward-level and infrastructure development across five Bengaluru City Corporations under the Greater Bangalore Authority, with a new allocation of Rs 1,055 crore under the Chief Minister’s Infrastructure Development Programme.

It also sanctioned Rs 1,241.57 crore for asphalting main and sub-main roads in the same municipal areas.

Additionally, the state fixed land compensation at Rs 1.50 crore per acre to Terra Firma Biotechnologies for an Integrated Solid Waste Management facility in Bengaluru.

Four ports — Karwar, Old Mangaluru (Bengre side), Old Mangaluru (city side) and Malpe berth — will be developed on a Repair-Operate-Maintain-Transfer (ROMT) model under PPP, at an estimated Rs 40.12 crore.

The cabinet approved 2,200 new classrooms in government schools at Rs 360.01 crore, and Rs 31.63 crore for equipment and construction of a Cancer Care Unit at Karwar Medical College.

It also cleared Rs 20.47 crore for technical and management services under the Karnataka Strengthening Coastal Resilience and Economy (K-SHORE) project.

Consent was granted to frame separate cadre and recruitment rules for the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and India Reserve Battalion (IRB), raising minimum qualification from SSLC to PUC.

The cabinet approved the creation of an in-house technical development unit, ‘Cauvery IT Cell’, for the department of registration and stamps, at Rs 69.13 crore over five years.

It also sanctioned the purchase of 241 police vehicles in 2025-26, costing Rs 34.95 crore.