New Delhi: The Karnataka government on Monday told the Supreme Court that it has given the data to the Centre and it will file an affidavit, during the hearing on the state's petition in connection with the release of financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for drought management.
A bench comprising justices B R Gavia and Sandeep Mehta has scheduled the matter for further after summer vacations. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Karnataka government, said, “they (Centre) said we have not given them data, but we have their data. We will file an affidavit….”.
Justice Gavai said if Karnataka is not satisfied then the court will take up the matter on the next date and proposed hearing the matter after summer vacations. Sibal agreed to it and added, “their own policy requires them to consider ... .I do not want to enter into controversy today, we will file the affidavit….”.
After a brief hearing on the matter, the bench agreed to schedule the hearing immediately after vacations.
On April 29, the central government told the Supreme Court that nearly Rs 3,400 crore had been released to the Karnataka government in connection with the drought management in the state.
The Attorney General of India R Venkataramani had informed the court that the Centre has released Rs 3,400 crore for the state government.
Sibal had argued that the state government had requested Rs 18,000 crore but only 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 argued that 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 had submitted, "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 will place a note.
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.
