VIJAYAPURA: Accusing the central government of not releasing funds for drought relief to Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said his letters to the union government seeking assistance and enhancement of employment days for those affected have gone unanswered.

The Karnataka government has declared 223 out of the total 236 taluks in the state as drought hit.

“We have started all the drought relief works, like -- supplying drinking water, providing fodder for livestock, giving employment to people,” Siddaramaiah said. He said the state has decided to increase the employment days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from 100 days to 150 days a year in view of the severe drought in the State, but the central government has to give permission for this. “We have written a letter to the Centre, but there is no reply till today,” he said.

It has been more than a month since the state government submitted its drought memorandum seeking relief from the Centre, a central team too visited for inspection, Siddaramaiah said that till today they have not given even a single paisa as drought relief.