Tamil Nadu was hit by floods in December last year (file photo).
New Delhi:
The Tamil Nadu government has moved the Supreme Court seeking an ex-parte order of Rs 2,000 crore from the Center as part of an interim relief package for flood-ravaged areas. The state, which was hit by floods in December, is seeking compensation of Rs 37,000 crore for damage caused by cyclone Micho and heavy rainfall.
The state also claimed that the Center has not released relief funds, but the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party denied this. The state has also accused the Center of disparate treatment in disbursing funds, which it said amounted to discrimination and violated people’s fundamental rights.
“Just yesterday, Kerala was arguing in the Supreme Court… that the Union government should be allowed to borrow Rs 10,000 crore. Karnataka was also arguing in the Supreme Court, seeking drought relief. We have also been demanding flood relief… … But they are not giving,” said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.
The Center has responded through Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
“Rs 900 crore has been released to Tamil Nadu through the National Disaster Relief Fund. If they had utilized it properly, a lot of things could have been avoided,” she said. “Also, Rs 5,000 crore has been arranged to build storm water drains in Chennai…let Let them unblock it first.”
However, she also admitted that “what must be given…will be given.” Three months ago, a high-level committee of union ministers and bureaucrats assessed the damage in the state.
The Tamil Nadu Supreme Court’s approach has become the latest flashpoint as tensions rise between the BJP at the Center and non-BJP governments in southern states – less than three weeks before the Lok Sabha elections. Debate over the release of funds to southern states – either for disaster relief or as part of tax devolution dues – was also brought to parliament in February.
Ms Sitharaman was at loggerheads with Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who accused non-BJP state governments of being “deprived of (financial) dues” and allocations. An angry Ms Sitharaman hit back saying “devolution… is being done as per the recommendations of the Finance Commission”.
Read | Nirmala Sitharaman slams Adhir Ranjan over GST charges
The incident comes as the Congress government in Karnataka has launched massive protests in the state and Delhi over the BJP’s failure to release funds to deal with drought in several districts.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left government in Kerala also joined the protests led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, as did lawmakers from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin’s DMK Joined the protests.
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Reacting to the Kerala government’s claims, Union Minister V Muraleedharan said: “As per the documents submitted, everything that was due has been provided…”
In January, the Telangana Bharat Rashtra Samithi had also slammed the Centre, alleging “stepmotherly” treatment. Senior BRS leader and former minister KT Rama Rao, son of former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, said the BJP has not announced any new institutions or funds for the state.
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