Kerala: Centre agrees to free up Rs 120 crore in arrears for Wayanad landslide relief use

The Union government on Friday told the Kerala High Court that it will free up Rs 120 crore in arrears owed by the state government to it for rehabilitation and relief efforts in Wayanad district, Bar and Bench reported.

At least 400 persons were killed because of landslides triggered by heavy rain in the Meppadi area in the district in July.

A division bench of Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Easwaran S has been hearing a suo motu case to monitor the rehabilitation efforts in Wayanad. At previous hearings, the state government and the Union government had clashed over delays in securing financial assistance for relief activities.

The Kerala government had Rs 782.9 crore available in the State Disaster Response Fund, Live Law reported. However, the amount could not be utilised for the rehabilitation efforts due to the debt the state government owed to the Centre, PTI reported.

On December 18, the bench urged the Union government to release Rs 120 crore for Wayanad from the Rs 132 crore in dues owed by the state government for airlifting services provided by the Indian Air Force since 2006, PTI reported.

On Friday, Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan, representing the Centre, told the court that Section 20 of the 2005 Disaster Management Act allowed the state government to avail the option, Bar and Bench reported.

Section 20…

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