Minister Sharan Prakash Patil addressing media at Abbetumkur village in Yadgir district on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Minister for Medical Education Sharan Prakash Patil on Sunday said that the State government will classify additional taluks as drought-affected in the second phase, following the completion of a comprehensive ground-truth assessment report.Speaking to reporters after laying the foundation stone for an Ayurvedic College in Abbetumkur village of Yadgir district, Dr. Patil said that drought will be declared strictly based on the criteria set by the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).”A total of 101 taluks across the State, including Shahapur in Yadgir district, have been declared drought-affected in the first phase,” Dr. Patil said.“The ground-truth assessment process is currently under way to evaluate parameters such as rainfall deficit, prolonged dry spells and crop loss. Based on this final verification report, more taluks will be incorporated in the second list,” he said.He added that the State government is closely monitoring ground conditions in Gurmitkal and Yadgir taluks, both of which have been severely impacted and likely to be added to the updated list upon receipt of the report.Teacher suspensionOn the issue of suspension of two government teachers, Dr. Patil clarified that the decision is in adherence to civil service rules and administrative regulations.He emphasized that public servants are prohibited from associating with or promoting organizations that adhere to specific ideologies.Dismissing allegations made by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi regarding the suspension, Dr. Patil urged the BJP leader to introspect before leveling accusations.“The Congress does not believe in or practice vindictive politics. Our focus remains squarely on development governance,” Dr. Patil claimed.Reacting upon the recent political developments, the Minister noted that B. Nagendra resigned from his post voluntarily to prevent unnecessary embarrassment to the party.He criticized the Opposition, accusing the BJP of exploiting the issue for political gains rather than engaging in constructive legislative discussion.”The BJP squandered valuable Assembly session time by raising slogans instead of participating in meaningful debates,” he said.MLA Channareddy Patil Tunnur and others were present. Published - August 30, 2026 08:13 pm IST
