Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the Union government had written to the Election Commission (EC) on March 28 seeking permission to hold a meeting of the high-level committee to clear several proposals for disaster relief, including drought relief for Karnataka.
Conceding that this could be construed as a “delay”, she claimed it was not intentional and the “processes had taken time”.
“The government will clear disaster relief once the meeting is held,” she said, speaking at a press conference organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party here on Saturday.
Reaching out to SC
Interestingly, the Karnataka government knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court seeking drought relief for the State, arguing there had been an inordinate delay by the Union government, on March 23. The Tamil Nadu government has also moved the apex court over the delay in disaster relief funds from the Union government.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking at an election rally in the State recently, had alleged that the State had delayed submitting its proposal by three months, that has been strongly countered by the State government. Following a memorandum for drought relief by Karnataka, a Central team visited the State for a spot inspection in October, 2023 and submitted a report the next month.
Ms. Sitharaman said: “Under the Prime Ministership of Narendra Modi, the Union government has not treated any State differently. Proposals before the high-level committee meeting, whenever it happens if EC allows it, are drought relief for Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, relief over damage caused by Michaung cyclone in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and relief over floods and landslides in Assam, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu.”
State to provide relief
Ms. Sitharaman while conceding that the “delay in such matters is completely avoidable”, said the financial relief in times of disasters was to be provided by the State governments.
“There is no concept of an interim relief or financial relief in times of disasters under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The State governments have to provide immediate financial relief from the State Disaster Response Funds.
For Karnataka’s SDRF of ₹929.60 crore, the share of the Union government is ₹697.60 crore which has been released in advance even before the disaster in two instalments,” she said.
It can be recalled that the State government announced the first instalment of crop loss compensation of ₹2,000 per farmer in November, 2023.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said that this was only the first instalment and the rest would be paid once the Union government provided drought relief.
