From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network 

Bengaluru, Mar 23: After the government of Kerala, it is now the turn of Karnataka to knock on the doors of Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to release funds to the State under the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF). 

“We have been anxiously waiting for the Narendra Modi regime to release funds to the State for drought relief and are now forced to move the apex court to come to our rescue,’’ disclosed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday. 

Addressing a news conference at his home office of Krishna, Siddaramaiah said the State Government has moved a petition before the Supreme Court under Article 32.

It may be recalled that the Pinarayi Vijayan government had also moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Modi regime to allow Kerala to borrow funds to tide over its financial difficulties and finally the apex court had asked the government to help the Kerala government.         

“We waited for the Centre to release funds to the State under NDRF since the last five months. We have knocked on the doors of Supreme Court,’’ he said.

The Chief Minister said the disaster management act had been framed with the specific purpose of helping the States in emergency situations and natural disaster. But the Centre has not released even a paisa even though the government is entitled to get funds under the law, he said.        

“Out of the 240 taluks in the State, as many as 223 have been declared a drought affected. The government has assessed the situation four times and the State suffered crop loss in 48 lakh hectares,’’ he said pointing out that, ‘’Karnataka has sent three memoranda to the Centre but to no avail.’’         

“We are living in federal system and under the rules and law, the Centre should send its team within a week of the respective State government submitting a request for Central assistance under NDRF. The Central study team has visited the State in October and under the rules, the government must decide on release of funds within a month of receiving the IMCT report,’’ he said quoting the NDRF rules and relevant legal provisions. 

Siddaramaiah said he and other ministers concerned, including Deputy Chief Minister, have met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other Central ministers. ‘’I have again requested the Prime Minister during his visit to the State in Bengaluru. But he has not responded,’’ he said. 

Even though the Centre has failed to release funds, the State Government has released Rs 450 crore for immediate relief works and Rs 870 crore for meeting drinking water requirements. The Deputy Commissioners of the districts have been allotted Rs 800 crore for taking up urgent relief works and the government has been taking all steps out of its own funds, he explained. 

Apart from the NDRF grants for drought relief, the Centre has to release Rs 4,600 crore. But the Centre has done nothing during the last five months, he said. 

The Chief Minister said the Congress government did not want a legal confrontation with the Centre. With all our pleas for Central funds for drought relief, which is a legal requirement, we have reluctantly approached the Supreme Court seeking justice, he added. 

Revenue Minister C Krishna Byegowda spoke on the various steps taken by the government.