Kerala HC asks Centre to respond to “non-disbursal” of aid from NDRF and PMNRF to State

Amicus curiae submits that after 57 days from Wayanad landslides Union government has not awarded any grant or amount promised by Prime Minister

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday asked the Union government to respond to a statement that no amount has been released from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for providing relief to those affected by the landslides in Wayanad on July 30.

The Bench comprising Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Syam Kumar V.M., while referring to the statement in a report filed by the amicus curiae, observed that this aspect required to be considered by the authorities which controlled the disbursal of the NDRF and the PM National Relief Fund.

In the statement, Ranjith Thampan, amicus curiae submitted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a team of officials from the Centre had visited the area. It was also understood that the State government had submitted a memorandum seeking adequate amount for the relief and rehabilitation purposes. However, after 57 days from the disaster, the Union government had not awarded any grant or amount which was promised by the Prime Minister.

Interim aid

It was a usual practice that in case of major disasters, an interim financial assistance was awarded without waiting for the final assessment of damage. Neighbouring States such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana had been allocated a significant amount from the NDRF. They were given financial assistance from the NDRF without waiting for the final assessment of damage.

The court also directed the State government to ensure that the Vigilance and Monitoring Committees at the State, district and divisional levels constituted to prevent unauthorised and illegal quarrying are revived. The amicus curiae said that the committees had become defunct and reactivation of these committees was essential in the wake of the landslides. The court also observed that there should be regulation of activities such as construction of tall buildings in areas in Wayanad where landslides had occurred or are prone to landslides.

Cost statement

The Bench also asked the State government to produce a cost statement of the amount estimated for the response and relief measure. Advocate General K. Gopalakrishna Kurup submitted that the media had given a distorted version of the memorandum filed in the High Court containing the estimated amount for the relief measures.

The court also directed the Wayanad district administration and the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KELSA) to file an affidavit detailing the unaddressed grievances of the landslide survivors.

Published - October 04, 2024 06:34 pm IST