Tamil Nadu goes to Supreme Court seeking flood relief funds

The Tamil Nadu government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking flood relief funds. The MK Stalin-led state government sought Rs 2,000 crore worth of initial funds.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has been criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not releasing funds worth Rs 37,000 crore that the state sought after the devastating 2023 floods.

In December 2023, unprecedented rainfall in four districts of Tamil Nadu killed at least 31 people, including 17 in Chennai alone.

It also unleashed widespread devastation, while inundating the state capital with severe flooding.

At the time, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the Centre had released Rs 900 crore worth of funds in two installments.

The Tamil Nadu government's petition came a week after MK Stalin criticised Sitharaman for calling flood relief 'alms' and pledged to approach the Supreme Court if the Centre did not release more funds to the state.

"The Finance Minister is not giving us any relief funds. When the state government is providing financial assistance to the affected people, Nirmala Sitharaman terms it as 'alms'. It’s the right of the people. When you insult the people in a democracy, then your defeat is written," he said on March 26 while addressing an election campaign.

In January, the Chief Minister's son and state Minister Udayanidhi Stalin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and urged the latter for the immediate release of funds to undertake relief, restoration and rehabilitation works in flood-affected districts of Tamil Nadu.