Kerala High Court Urges Central Government to Reassess Standards on Unpaid Debt for Wayanad Relief
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Kochi, Dec 18 (NationPress) The Kerala High Court on Wednesday urged the Central government to reassess the SDRF/NDRF standards to allow the Kerala government to be 'freed up' of an outstanding debt of Rs 180 crore, making this amount available for rehabilitation efforts in Wayanad.
This recommendation arose during a suo moto case examined by a division bench comprised of Justices A.K.Jayasankaran Nambiar and S.Easwaran, who were addressing the pressing need for central assistance in landslide-affected Wayanad over recent weeks.
In July of this year, a catastrophic landslide struck the state, wreaking havoc across four villages, resulting in 231 fatalities while 47 individuals remain unaccounted for. A total of 145 homes were completely destroyed, 170 homes suffered partial damage, 240 homes were rendered uninhabitable, and 183 homes were swept away.
The high court has been reviewing the case for some time. The state informed the court that out of the total Rs 782 crore available in the State Disaster Response Fund, approximately Rs 120 crore are owed to the Centre for airlifting services rendered in 2006, 2016, and 2017, along with Rs 60 crore for other outstanding bills.
Moreover, the state indicated there are additional obligations, leaving only Rs 61.03 crore available for immediate use.
Additionally, the state has submitted a comprehensive summary of previous commitments and projected future expenses.
The court stated: 'We have been informed that this issue can be discussed with the Central government to consider granting necessary relaxations. The Central government may evaluate the possibility of easing SDRF/NDRF standards, enabling the State government to promptly allocate these funds for the rehabilitation of landslide survivors in Wayanad.
Setting the next hearing for January 10, the court requested the Centre to deliberate on this appeal.
