The Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the state government to convince the Central government that the state deserves more assistance for the Wayanad landslide disaster.
A division bench comprising Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Easwaran S directed the state government to submit the state’s SDRF utilisation certificate before requesting additional funds from the Centre for immediate assistance in connection with the recent Wayanad landslides.
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The court said the funds in the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) are essentially on paper, and the state government must ensure that the Central government is made aware of the situation to secure additional assistance. The state should also appoint a credible agency to provide utilization certificates to the Central government.The division bench also expressed its readiness to mediate between the Central and state governments in this regard.
According to the latest figures, the state disaster relief fund holds around Rs 700 crore, but only Rs 61 crore is available for expenditure, as reported by the amicus curiae. The state government informed the court that as of October 1, the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) had Rs 782.99 crore. However, the figure has now reduced to Rs 700.5 crore as of December 10. This amount is intended for all disaster relief activities across the state and cannot be solely allocated for landslide-affected areas.
Out of a total of Rs 700.5 crore, around Rs 471 crore has already been allocated for various needs across the state. An additional Rs 128 crore must be set aside for other purposes. Despite the Rs 700 crore available, it cannot be exclusively used for Wayanad. Moreover, according to regulations, SDRF funds cannot be used to purchase land for rehabilitation.
The state government has stated that additional funds will be required to establish townships and other infrastructure in Wayanad.
Through sponsorships and other means, Rs 682 crore has been allocated specifically for Wayanad through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. This amount will need to cover expenses for townships and other projects,it was informed to the court.
The court directed the Revenue Principal Secretary to submit a detailed report on the current SDRF balance, its planned and actual usage, and the additional amount needed for Wayanad by December 18. The court also stated that this report could be forwarded to the Central government, and mediation between the state and Central governments could take place after the Christmas holidays.
Earlier on Saturday, the Kerala High Court came down heavily on the LDF government for its failure to provide clarity on the utilisation of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). A division bench comprising Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Muhammed Nias CP reprimanded the state government for failing to clarify how much money is remaining in the State Disaster Response Funds (SDRF) to meet ongoing disaster relief efforts in landslide-hit Wayanad.
