Win for K'taka, Centre gets EC nod for drought relief

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that the Election Commission has given clearance to it to deal with the issue raised by Karnataka regarding financial assistance for drought management.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a plea filed by the Karnataka governement seeking a direction to the Centre to release financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to the state for drought management.

"The Election Commission has cleared the government to deal with this question. I think it will be done expeditiously," Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, told the bench.

"This should all be done amicably…we are having a federal structure," the bench observed, while adjourning the matter.

While hearing the plea on April 8, the apex court had observed let there not be a "contest" between the Union and the state.

The petition has also sought to declare that the Centre's action in not releasing the financial assistance for drought arrangement as per the NDRF is "exfacie violative" of the fundamental rights of the people of the state guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

It said the state is reeling under "severe drought", affecting the lives of its people and for the Kharif 2023 season, which starts in June and ends in September, a total of 223 out of 236 taluks are declared as drought-hit. (PTI)