Got EC's nod,Karnataka to get relief funds: Centre to SC

The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Monday that it will resolve expeditiously issues related to Karnataka government's plea seeking financial assistance for drought relief and something will happen by April 29. Attorney General R Venkataramani, representing the Centre apprised the court that the Election Commission has allowed the Union government to deal with the issue and something will happen before next Monday.Venkataramani also apprised the bench of justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta it will be done expeditiously and no argument is needed now.Justice Gavai observing the federal structure remarked that this has to happen amicably.Senior advocate Kapil Sibal agreed to the suggestion made by the Attorney General.
The court was hearing Karnataka government plea seeking financial assistance for drought relief. The Karnataka Government was represented by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal. Karnataka Government,in the plea filed through advocate DL 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 Karnataka govt had moved the SC seeking a direction to the Centre to release the funds to the tune of Rs 35,162 crore for drought relief in view of "grave humanitarian distress" and "calamity" of severe nature faced by the state.
The 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.

(Dr Mysi Patil, State Correspondent)