Kerala HC urges Centre to exclude Rs 120 cr from airlift charges

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday urged the Centre to consider excluding Rs 120 crore from the Rs 132 crore airlift charges demanded for the Indian Air Force (IAF) rescue operations in the state since 2006. This amount, the court suggested, could be utilized immediately for the rehabilitation of landslide victims in Wayanad.

A bench comprising Justices A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Easwaran S asked whether the Centre could temporarily free up the Rs 120 crore, enabling the funds to be used for relief efforts in Wayanad. The bench also proposed relaxing the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms to facilitate the immediate release of these funds for rehabilitation.

The court highlighted the noble cause behind the proposal, noting that the central government should have no issue with temporarily freeing up the funds to help victims of the disaster. The bench listed the matter for further hearing on January 10, 2025, to await the Centre’s response on the issue.

Additionally, the bench raised concerns about the timing of the Rs 132 crore bill, which was issued by the Defence Ministry in October 2024, shortly after the Kerala government requested financial assistance for the rehabilitation of the landslide-affected areas. The court remarked that sending the bill right after the state’s request appeared to be a "psychological move" and urged the Centre to avoid such tactics.

The Rs 132 crore demand covers IAF rescue operations in Kerala since 2006, including over Rs 100 crore for the 2018 floods and more than Rs 13 crore for the operations following the landslides in Wayanad on July 30, 2024.

The Kerala government currently has about Rs 61 crore in its SDRF account, after accounting for existing commitments. If the Rs 120 crore is freed up, the state would have Rs 180 crore available for immediate use in the rehabilitation of landslide victims.

The Centre’s lawyer acknowledged that permission from the Union government is necessary to temporarily release the Rs 120 crore and relax NDRF/SDRF guidelines to allow its utilization for rehabilitation. The court urged the Centre to consider granting these relaxations promptly.

The High Court was hearing a suo-motu petition on the prevention and management of natural disasters, particularly following the landslides in Wayanad, which resulted in over 200 fatalities. The landslides, which occurred on July 30, devastated large parts of three villages Punchirimattam, Chooralmala, and Mundakkai as well as sections of Attamala in Wayanad. The state government reported 231 casualties.

With PTI inputs