Wayanad landslides: Kerala HC gives last chance to Centre to convey decision on loan waivers to victims
A bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Jobin Sebastian adjourned the suo motu petition concerning the rehabilitation of the Wayanad landslide victims to Sept 10, as requested by assistant solicitor general A R L Sundaresan.
At an earlier hearing, the court had directed the central govt to decide on the matter after the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) stated that it could not grant loan waivers, as the relevant provision empowering it to do so had been omitted from the National Disaster Management Act.
However, the Centre has yet to arrive at a definitive decision.
Previously, Sundaresan informed HC that the matter was under consideration by the Union ministry of finance and that additional time was required to take a decision, following which the court adjourned the case to Aug 13. On Wednesday, Sundaresan submitted that no information had yet been received from the ministry. He stated that he had sent an email seeking the final decision in the meantime and requested more time to obtain a reply.
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The court accordingly adjourned the matter to Sept 10.
Tunnel project
Meanwhile, in connection with related matters, Renjith Thampan, an amicus curiae in the case, informed HC that the state govt had decided to schedule the inauguration of the construction of the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi twin tunnel road project on Aug 31. Noting the submission, the bench orally cautioned the state govt that work could not commence without obtaining the mandatory clearance.
It was then informed that the stage for commencing the work had not yet been reached, as Stage II forest clearance from the Centre had not been obtained.
Meanwhile, another petition, a PIL filed by the Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi, is pending before the bench of the Chief Justice. In that matter, the bench had clarified that all steps taken by the govt and the other respondents will be subject to the outcome of the PIL.
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