Kerala HC slams centre over loan waiver refusal for Wayanad landslide victims

The Kerala High Court on Friday came down heavily on the Centre, saying the Union government cannot say that it is powerless to direct a loan waiver for the Wayanad landslide victims, merely because Section 13 has now been omitted from the Disaster Management Act.

The division bench of Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice P M Manoj made this stinging remark in the course of hearing a suo motu case initiated by the High Court after the Wayanad landslides that



washed away four villages on July 30 last year.

At least 200 people lost their lives while 32 continue to remain missing in the landslides that caused large-scale destruction to properties in the four villages.

The High Court was peeved after the Central government filed an affidavit stating that they would not be able to direct for waiver of loan under Section 13 of the Disaster Management Act, as this section has been omitted by a recent amendment.