Kerala High Court secures Centre's nod to 'free' ₹120 crore of airlifting debt for Wayanad relief

The Kerala High Court on Friday recorded the Central government's consent to free up ₹120 crores of arrears owed by the State to the Centre in airlift charges over the years, so that this amount may be immediately used for Wayanad landslide relief efforts [In Re: Prevention and Management of Natural Disasters in Kerala]..A Division Bench of Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Easwaran S, was hearing a suo motu case initiated to monitor rehabilitation efforts in Wayanad, which is yet to recover from devastating landslides that hit the district in 2024.The Court last month had urged the Centre to 'free up' ₹120 crores from the State's outstanding airlift-charges debt so that this amount could be immediately used for Wayanad relief efforts.Additional Solicitor General (ASG) ARL Sundaresan today submitted that the Disaster Management Act, 2005 allows the State to avail such an option by exercising its powers under Section 20. The State is empowered to postpone payments related to airdrops and use that money for rehabilitation, ASG Sundaresan explained. The Court proceeded to record that the Centre is agreeable to this course of action. This was also reflected in a letter from the Centre dated January 2."The Central Government essentially accepts the proposal that was mooted by us in our previous order and has agreed to the freeing up of the amount of ₹120 crore for immediate use of the State government in connection with the ongoing rehabilitation proceedings at Wayanad. The said amount can be used, in relaxation of the SDRF and NDRF norms of the Central Government," the Court recorded..The State has repeatedly locked horns with the Central government during earlier hearings over delays in securing financial assistance from the Centre for rehabilitation and relief efforts in Wayanad. Amid these negotiations, the Centre had raised pending bills of ₹132.61 crores that the State was yet to clear for airlifting services availed in 2006, 2016, and 2017.The Centre had also suggested that the State should use funds remaining in its State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for now to meet immediate needs. It maintained that additional financial assistance would be given only after a final assessment of Wayanad by an expert committee. .The Court was told today that the Meppadi landslide in Wayanad has now been classified as a disaster of 'severe nature' following an assessment by an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT).This classification means that the State government can now tap into multiple funding sources for recovery and rehabilitation efforts in Wayanad. For instance, the State can now tap into resources and funds from sources such as the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investments (SASCI) and Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) funds.A statement by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), which outlined measures taken for victim rehabilitation in Wayanad, was also taken note of by the Court today. Meanwhile, a Wayanad resident named Baiju Paul Mathew sought his impleadment in the suo motu case, submitting that he had additional concerns about victim rehabilitation.The Court advised him to coordinate with the amicus curiae, Senior Counsel Ranjith Thampan.The matter is scheduled for further hearing on January 16, 2025..[Read Order].[Read Live Coverage]