New Delhi: The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that nearly Rs 3,400 crore has been released to the Karnataka government in connection with the drought management in the state.
A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta asked the Attorney General of India R Venkataramani if the Centre has released some amount for the Karnataka government. The AG replied that Rs 3,400 core has been released.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Karnataka government, said the state government had requested Rs 18,000 crore but Rs 3,450 crore has been released and added that an inspection was done by an inter-ministerial team which sent a report to a sub-committee. Venkataramani said whatever the inter-ministerial team recommended; the sub-committee took that into account.
Sibal said the amount was sought for gratuitous relief to families whose livelihood is seriously affected due to drought. "We are grateful for the amount which has been given. There is no issue on that, said Sibal.
Sibal said there was an inter-ministerial team which went to the state and looked at all these factors and gave a report to the sub-committee, which in turn then sent it to the appropriate authority to take a decision. He said that the inter-ministerial report is not with us and urged the apex court to ask the Centre to place the report before the court and "in accordance with that, whatever is decided, we have no problem".
The bench asked about the recommendations. The AG said, "I wish to say the recommendations have been acted upon". The bench asked him to place the recommendation of the inter-ministerial team. The AG said he would place a note.
After hearing submissions, the top court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on May 6. The apex court 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.
In September 2023, the state had sought Rs 18,174 crore, under the NDRF to take up relief works in drought-hit areas. Karnataka had declared 223 taluks as drought affected on September 13, 2023. It also claimed that due to drought, crops were damaged on 48 lakh hectares, resulting in a loss of Rs 35,162 crore.
