NEW DELHI: The Centre told the Supreme Court that around Rs 3,400 crore has been released to Karnataka as drought relief in the state. The SC asked the Centre to place a report by the inter-ministerial team, which has visited drought-hit areas of Karnataka to assess the situation in the state.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a plea filed by Karnataka government on Monday seeking a direction to the Centre to forthwith take a final decision and release the financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to the state.
The court was informed by Attorney General R Venkataramani that the Centre has released around Rs 3,400 crore as a relief fund to the Karnataka government. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal for the Karnataka government also apprised the same to the apex court. Around Rs 3,400 crore was given by the Centre as drought relief as against around Rs 18,000 crore sought by the state government, the advocate informed the top court.
Sibal also informed the top court that an inter-ministerial team conducted an inspection of the drought-affected areas and sent a report to a sub-committee. The court then asked the Attorney General to place the report before it and adjourned the matter.
The SC was hearing a Karnataka government’s plea seeking financial assistance for drought relief. The Karnataka government, in the plea filed through advocate D L Chidananda, urged the top court to direct the Centre to forthwith take a final decision and release the financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to the state.
The plea also sought to declare that the action of the government in not releasing the financial assistance for drought arrangement as per the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) is exfacie violative of the fundamental rights of the people of the State of Karnataka guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India.
Karnataka government said that the impugned action of the Central government in denying financial assistance to the State is ex-facie violative of the fundamental rights of the people of Karnataka guaranteed under Articles 14, and 21 of the Constitution of India.
Further, the impugned action of the Central Government is violative of the statutory scheme of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Manual for Drought Management, and the Guidelines on Constitution and Administration of the State Disaster Response Fund and National Disaster Response Fund, the state government said.
Karnataka government submitted that under the Manual for Drought Management, the Central Government 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). The plea said that Karnataka is reeling under severe drought, affecting the lives of its citizens.
“For the Kharif 2023 season as a whole, after fulfilling all the Indicators of the Manual for Drought Management 2020, a total of 223 out of 236 taluks are declared as drought-affected during Kharif 2023 with 196 taluks categorized as severely affected and the remaining 27 categorized as moderately affected. The Southwest Monsoon (SWM) set in over the coast of Karnataka on 10th June 2023, as against the normal onset of 5th June. The SWM gradually advanced thereafter and covered the entire State on 24th June, as against the normal coverage date of 15th June. The delayed onset coupled with sluggish progress of SWM during June resulted in Malnad districts and North Interior Karnataka districts with large agriculture land recording large deficit rainfall”, the petition said.
“After strictly adhering to the procedure outlined in the Manual for Drought Management-2020, Karnataka notified 223 out of 236 taluks as drought-affected. 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 Rs.35,162 crore.
“The state government has sought Rs.18,171.44 crore under National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), through three Drought Relief Memorandum submitted in September-November 2023 ie, Rs.4663.12 crore towards crop loss input subsidy, Rs. 12577.9 crore towards gratuitous relief to families whose livelihood has been seriously affected due to drought, Rs.566.78 crore for addressing shortage of drinking water relief then and Rs.363.68 crore towards cattle care. Crops have failed, reduced water availability has affected domestic, agricultural, and industrial-hydel energy water supply”, the petition said.
The Karnataka government said that agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for a large section of the State. Hence the present drought situation has damaged crops, affected livestock, leading to lower yields, reduced income for farmers, increased food prices and increased shortage of water in urban and rural areas as well due to reduced groundwater level and shortage or no water storage in lakes as well as reservoirs.
“The total estimated loss due to crop damage in the state is Rs 35,162.05 crore and the assistance sought from Government of India under NDRF is Rs 18,171.44 crore. In terms of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, Union of India is under obligation to render financial assistance to the State Governments. However, despite the calamity being of a severe nature, despite the constitution and visit of an Inter-Ministerial Central Team(IMCT) in October for a first-hand assessment of the humanitarian needs towards response and relief of immediate/temporary nature, damages caused and relief work carried out by the state and submission of their report for allocation of funds from NDRF, despite the submission of the sub-Committee of the National Executive Committee’s report for allocation of the funds under NDRF to the High-Level Committee(HLC) and despite repeated requests by the State, the Union of India has not convened the High-Level Committee to take action on the Sub-Committee of the National Executive Committee’s report on the Memorandums submitted by the State Government seeking financial assistance, which has impaired the fundamental right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India to its people”, the petition said. (ANI)
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