NDRF release to Karnataka: Have poll panel nod, Centre to SC
The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that the Election Commission has given clearance to it to deal with the issue raised by Karnataka regarding financial assistance for drought management.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a plea filed by the Karnataka government seeking a direction to the Centre to release financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to the state for drought management.
“The Election Commission has cleared the government to deal with this question. I think it will be done expeditiously,” Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, told the bench.
He told the bench that the matter could be taken up next week.
FEDERAL STRUCTURE
“This should all be done amicably…we are having a federal structure,” the bench observed, while adjourning the matter.
While hearing the plea on April 8, the apex court observed let there not be a “contest” between the Union and the state.
The Attorney General and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who were appearing for the Centre, had told the bench they would seek instructions in the matter. The petition has also sought to declare that the Centre’s action in not releasing the financial assistance for drought arrangement as per the NDRF is “ex-facie violative” of the fundamental rights of the people of the state guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
It said the state is reeling under “severe drought”, a§ecting the lives of its people and for the Kharif 2023 season, which starts in June and ends in September, a total of 223 out of 236 taluks are declared as drought-a§ected.
“Cumulatively for kharif 2023 season, the agriculture and horticulture crop loss have been reported in more than 48 lakh hectares with the estimated loss (cost of cultivation) of ₹35,162 crore,” the plea, filed through advocate D L Chidananda, said.
NDRF ASSISTANCE
It said the assistance sought from the Centre under the NDRF is ₹18,171.44 crore.
The plea also said the state is constrained to move the apex court against the “arbitrary actions” of the Centre in denying the financial assistance for drought management to Karnataka.
The Centre is required to take a final decision on the assistance to the state from the NDRF within a month of the receipt of the inter-ministerial central team (IMCT).
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of Army Sta General Manoj Pande during a visit to the Siachen Base Camp, in Ladakh. Siachen is India’s capital of “courage, grit and determination”, Singh said on Monday after carrying out a review of the security situation at the world’s highest snow-clad battlefield