Supreme Court weighs in on Centre vs States conflict over Karnataka Drought Relief Funds

The petition claims that the centre has not provided financial assistance to the Karnataka government in response to a drought in multiple districts. It states that the failure to disburse funds has violated the fundamental rights of the people of the southern state.

The state also mentioned that the centre had not taken action on a report regarding the drought-related disaster for nearly six months and that the situation had worsened due to the withholding of NDRF benefits. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the state government, highlighted that the centre was obligated to act on the report within a month of its submission.

In response, the centre raised questions about the timing of the issue, particularly with the Lok Sabha election looming in 11 days. The centre suggested that the state government should have approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government before resorting to the top court.

The row between the centre and states has attracted attention, especially with southern states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala challenging the centre over the disbursal of funds and tax devolution. The Karnataka petition was filed shortly after Tamil Nadu sought an ex-parte order to compel the centre to release Rs 2,000 crore as part of an interim relief package for flood-ravaged districts.

The centre’s response questioned the timing of the petition, taking into consideration the looming Lok Sabha election. This issue has gained attention due to disagreements between the centre and states, particularly in the southern region, regarding the allocation of funds and tax devolution as recommended by the Finance Commission.