This news report highlights the Kerala High Court's intervention to secure funds for the rehabilitation of Wayanad landslide survivors.
Issue: The Kerala government faced difficulties in accessing funds from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for rehabilitation efforts due to restrictions on its usage.
Court Intervention: The Kerala High Court intervened in the matter, recognizing the urgent need for funds for rehabilitation.
Central Government's Response: The Central government, represented by the Additional Solicitor General, informed the court that it has permitted Kerala to utilize ₹120 crore from the SDRF for rehabilitation purposes.
Relaxation of SDRF norms: The Union Home Ministry has relaxed SDRF guidelines to allow the State government to utilize funds for rehabilitation measures.
Court's Observation: The court acknowledged the Centre's acceptance of the proposal and emphasized the State government's authority to utilize SDRF funds for approved rehabilitation measures.
Exploring other funding sources: The court also noted that the State government can explore other funding sources, such as MP Local Area Development Funds and Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI), to support rehabilitation efforts.
SDRF has been constituted under Section 48 (1) (a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
It was constituted based on the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission.
It is the primary fund available with the State governments for responses to notified disasters to meet expenditure for providing immediate relief.
It is audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) every year.
Contribution:
The Centre contributes 75% of the SDRF allocation for general category States and Union Territories and 90% for special category States and Union Territories (northeastern States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir).
The annual Central contribution is released in two equal installments as per the recommendation of the Finance Commission.
Disaster (s) Covered under SDRF:
Cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloudburst, pest attack, frost and cold waves.
Local Disasters:
A State Government may use up to 10% of the funds available under the SDRF for providing immediate relief to the victims of natural disasters that they consider to be ‘disasters’ within the local context in the State and which are not included in the notified list of disasters of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
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