Centre vs States: Supreme Court on Karnataka Drought Relief Funds Dispute

The petition claims that the centre has not extended financial assistance to the Karnataka government in view of a drought in multiple districts. It contends that the failure to disburse funds has violated the fundamental rights of the people of the southern state. Additionally, the state argues that the centre has not acted on an inter-ministerial team’s report on the drought-related disaster for nearly six months. This has been aggravated due to the withholding of NDRF (National Disaster Response Fund) benefits.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the state government, pointed out that the centre had been required to act on the report within a month of its submission. In response, the centre questioned the timing, citing the upcoming Lok Sabha election in 11 days, and suggested that the state should have approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government before moving to the top court. The Centre vs. states row has made headlines before the Lok Sabha election, particularly with southern states – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala – challenging the centre over disbursal of funds and devolution of taxes. The Karnataka petition came just after Tamil Nadu sought an ex-parte order to release Rs 2,000 crore for flood-ravaged districts.

These disputes highlight the ongoing tension between central and state governments, with financial assistance, disaster relief, and devolution of taxes being key points of contention.