Centre extends deadline for spending Rs 529.50 crore till December 31; will summon central officials, warns High Court

KOCHI: The High Court has strongly criticized the Central Government for not giving a clear answer regarding the utilization of Rs 529.50 crore for the rehabilitation of the victims of the Wayanad disaster. "Things should not be taken lightly. Do not think that the Central officials are above the High Court. We know how to bring the officials of Delhi to the court on the next flight," a division bench comprising Justice Dr. AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice S Easwaran said orally.

The central government has announced that the deadline for the utilization of the Rs 529.50 crore allocated by the centre has been extended from 31st of this month to 31st of December. The state government had informed the court last time that it was impractical to utilise the funds by March 31. The court had earlier directed to clarify whether this amount is being deposited in the accounts of various departments of the state government implementing the rehabilitation project. The criticism was due to the fact that this was not done. The court said that the central government is wasting time.

Details of the steps taken so far should be filed in an affidavit on Monday itself. The court did not accept the request of the central government lawyer for additional time. The court was considering a petition related to the Chooralmala - Mundakkai rehabilitation. The central decision on the waiver of bank loans of the affected people should not be delayed any further. The Centre should clarify the situation in which the Bank of Baroda has initiated action to recover the loan. The matter will be considered again on March 26.

Debris to be removed in three phases

The state government informed the High Court that the debris accumulated in the rivers and other places in the affected areas will be removed in three phases. The first phase will be completed before the monsoon season in residential areas including Chooralmala Town. An expert team has formulated the plans. It was also informed that the steps are progressing under the leadership of the Chief Engineer. The court directed that it should be informed when it will begin when the matter is considered next week.