Nearly six months after Karnataka submitted a memorandum, the state has received Rs 3,454 crore from the Centre under the Natural Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to combat the drought situation. However, this amount is way below the state’s initial demand of Rs 18,174 crore, which included compensation for farmers. The Congress has planned a sit-in protest, seeking the release of more funds. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed disappointment, stating that the funds were released not out of concern for Karnataka, but due to the intervention of the Supreme Court. The release of funds is expected to benefit the Congress government as it coincides with the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in drought-affected areas. The Union finance minister had approved the release of funds after the Centre’s commitment before the Supreme Court. Despite this, the released amount is only a fraction of what Karnataka had requested. The state government has decided to continue fighting for a larger share of funds.