Tamil Nadu approaches Supreme Court seeking release of flood relief funds

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Synopsis

Court has further been told that the State had written to the Home Ministry in December last year to release the funds but no help has been extended

The Tamil Nadu government has filed an original suit before the Supreme Court of India seeking release of flood relief funds from the Union of India for damages caused.

Financial assistance of ₹19,692.69 crore for the damage caused by cyclone Michaung in December 2023 has been sought within a specified time.

Filed through Senior Advocate P Wilson, the suit also seeks an ex parte interim order directing the Union to release ₹2,000 crore as immediate assistance to carry out relief operations and temporary restoration works.

An additional ₹18,214.52 crore has been sought as aid towards damages caused by unprecedented and extremely heavy rainfall in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu in December.

It has been further pointed out that the Central government has not yet acted on the report of an inter-ministerial team that had visited the site to assess the damage caused by the natural calamities. Such inaction has been deemed to be ex-facie illegal, arbitrary and violative of fundamental rights of the people.

While addressing a campaign rally at Vellore Fort Ground yesterday, TN Chief Minister MK Stalin had said his government will move the Supreme Court today seeking funds for flood relief from the union government.

Last month, the Karnataka government had approached the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Union government's Ministry of Home Affairs to take a final decision and release the financial assistance from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to the state for drought relief.