TN-Centre tussle over disaster relief reaches SC; State seeks Rs 38,000 CR fund, Rs 2,000 crore as interim relief
While addressing the election campaign in Vellore on Tuesday, Stalin said the State government had requested Centre to provide flood relief, which was not yet accepted. So a case would be filed in the Supreme Court against Centre on Wednesday, he said.
(L) Supreme Court of India; MK Stalin (R)
CHENNAI: The tussle between the Tamil Nadu government and Centre over extending disaster relief funds intensified on Wednesday after the State moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to release nearly Rs 38,000 crore as financial assistance for the damage caused by Cyclone Michaung and unprecedented rainfall that lashed the southern districts in December 2023.
The plea added that the funds should be released within the timeframe fixed by the Apex Court and also sought an interim relief of Rs 2,000 crore.
The issue has gathered attention yet again after the ruling DMK and its president, Chief Minister MK Stalin, trained its guns on the Union government for allegedly ignoring Tamil Nadu's repeated requests for funds to deal with the aftermath of the cyclone which wreaked havoc in Chennai and its neighbouring districts last year.
Responding to this, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday that the Centre has given Rs 5,000 crore as special fund for Chennai, and Rs 900 crore for disaster relief, and questioned the State government over the utilisation of funds.
While addressing the election campaign in Vellore on Tuesday, Chief Minister MK Stalin said the State government had requested Centre to provide flood relief, which was not yet accepted. So a case would be filed in the Supreme Court against Centre on Wednesday, he said.
In the suit filed through senior counsel and Rajya Sabha MP P Wilson and standing counsel D Kumanan, Tamil Nadu sought a direction to the Centre to consider the representation dated December 14, submitted through the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), Ministry of Home Affairs, regarding release of Rs 19,692.69 crore as financial assistance for the damage caused by Cyclone Michaung within a time frame to be fixed by the court.
It also sought Rs 18,214.52 crore as financial assistance for the damage caused by the unprecedented extremely heavy rainfall in southern districts of Tamil Nadu on December 17-18.
The IMCT visited cyclone-affected districts from December 12 to 14, and the flood-affected southern districts from December 20-21, and January 11-14, and made a comprehensive assessment of the situation in the State. However, the plea said, "the Government of India has not taken a final decision on the assistance to the State from the National Disaster Response Fund even after a lapse of almost three months from the date of submission of memoranda."
The "inordinate delay" by the Ministry of Home Affairs in convening the High Level Committee meeting to approve the quantum of relief from NDRF and release of the funds to the State by the Union Finance Ministry hampered the State's development and caused mental agony and hardships to the people, who have suffered the severe natural calamities and who are expecting the relief measures from the State government.
The State government also sought an ex parte order of interim relief of direction to release Rs 2,000 crore as an interim measure by considering the representations dated December 19 made by Chief Minister Stalin and dated January 10 made by Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena seeking interim assistance for carrying out relief operations and temporary restoration works, within a time frame to be fixed by the Supreme Court.
