“Centre, K’taka Govt. Should Resolve Issue Related To Drought Aid”: SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday urged the Centre and the Karnataka government to resolve the ongoing issue regarding the release of financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for drought management in the state.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the Karnataka government, seeking directions to the Centre for the immediate release of the necessary funds.

During the hearing, Attorney General R. Venkataramani, representing the Centre, requested time to file an affidavit in the matter. In response, the bench, comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, instructed, “You should resolve it.” The case was then adjourned to January for further hearings.

The Karnataka government has been seeking Rs 18,171 crore in financial aid to address the severe drought conditions across the state. However, it has only received Rs 3,819 crore so far. When the bench inquired about the amount released to date, the counsel for Karnataka clarified the discrepancy.

Earlier, in April 2023, the Centre had informed the apex court that approximately Rs 3,400 crore had been allocated to Karnataka for drought management. Despite this, the state’s petition argues that the Centre’s decision to not release the full amount is a violation of the people’s fundamental rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

Karnataka has been grappling with extreme drought conditions, particularly during the kharif 2023 season. Out of the state’s 236 ‘taluks,’ 223 were declared drought-affected, with 196 being severely affected and the remaining 27 moderately impacted. The drought has resulted in significant agricultural losses, with over 48 lakh hectares affected and an estimated financial loss of Rs.35,162 crore in crop damages.

The state’s plea highlights that despite the severity of the situation, the Centre has failed to provide adequate financial assistance under the NDRF. Karnataka has argued that the denial of the full amount violates the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and the manual for drought management, which was last updated in 2020.

According to the guidelines, the Centre is required to decide on the release of funds within one month of receiving the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) report.

The IMCT, which visited drought-affected districts between October 4 and 9, 2023, assessed the situation and submitted its report. However, even after nearly 6 months, the Centre has not yet taken a final decision on the assistance.

Karnataka’s petition calls the Centre’s actions arbitrary and in violation of statutory provisions, demanding that the full financial assistance be granted to mitigate the severe impact of the drought on the state’s population.

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