Pouring cold water on Karnataka’s face, the Empowered Group of Ministers on Drought has asked to scale down “huge” fiancial demand from the Centre and come up with a realistic proposal outlining specific requisitions on short term and long term plans.

Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar held a a two-hour-long meeting with Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and his cabinet colleagues besides officials in the Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore on Thursday.