The Karnataka government lodged a petition with the Supreme Court on Saturday, challenging the union government’s failure to allocate drought funds to the state. The petition urges the apex court to instruct the central government to allocate the National Drought Relief Fund (NDRF) to Karnataka.
BENGALURU, Karnataka: The State of Karnataka on Saturday has escalated its plea for financial assistance to the Supreme Court, pointing fingers at the Central government for neglecting its urgent requests amid an alarming drought situation. In a decisive move, the Karnataka government on Saturday lodged a formal accusation against the Union of India for failing to provide the necessary funds to mitigate the dire circumstances faced by its people.
The government’s plea underscores a critical juncture, stating,
“The petitioner – State of Karnataka, in fulfillment of its parens patriae obligation to its people, is representing its people in enforcing the fundamental right guaranteed under Article 21, to bring to the notice of this Hon’ble Court a matter of grave humanitarian distress caused by drought.”
Detailing the severity of the drought, the petition reveals,
“223 out of 236 taluks are declared as drought-affected, with 196 taluks categorized as severely affected and the remaining 27 categorized as moderately affected … During the South West Monsoon season 2023, the State recorded only 33 rainy days out of 122 days (rainy day defined as ≥ 2.5 mm/day), which is the 2nd lowest in the last 33 years.”
This dire situation prompted Karnataka to reach out to the Prime Minister in January and conduct several discussions with senior Central government officials, highlighting the growing crisis yet receiving no substantial response or aid.
The petition also brings to light the inaction following the Inter-Ministerial Central Team’s report, stating,
“The Union government has not yet acted upon a Inter-Ministerial Central Team report on the disaster for nearly six months now.”
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The delay is exacerbated by the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) benefits not being extended to the State, further complicating the predicament.
Financially, Karnataka has found itself in a tight corner, as elucidated in the plea:
“The State Government has sought Rs.18,171.44 crore from NDRF … ie, Rs.4663.12 crore towards crop loss input subsidy, Rs. 12577.9 crore towards gratuitous relief to families whose livelihood has been seriously affected due to drought, Rs.566.78 crore for drinking water purpose and Rs.363.68 crore towards cattle care. … The allocation for Karnataka under SDRF for the fiscal year 2023- 24 is Rs. 929.50 crore. The entire SDRF allocation has been utilized.”
Given these daunting figures, the state’s administration underlines the consequential impacts, noting,
“The present drought situation has extensively damaged crops and affected livestock, leading to lower yields and earnings for farmers and resulting in inflation. The situation has major economic impact resulting from losses in agriculture, impacting jobs, incomes, and overall economic growth of the State.”
In light of the emergency, the State government fervently requests the Union Home Ministry’s immediate intervention to release the much-needed financial assistance from NDRF.
The plea, filed by Advocate DL Chidananda and overseen by Senior Counsel Devadatt Kamat along with Advocate General (AG) K Shashi Kiran Shetty, is pressed for an urgent hearing before the Supreme Court, which remains in recess for Holi and is set to reconvene on April 1.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the State of Karnataka awaits a prompt response, highlighting the plight of its citizens and the need for immediate governmental action to address the significant human and economic toll inflicted by the prolonged drought.
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