Union govt, NDMA can ask banks to waive loans of Wayanad landslides victims: HC

The Kerala High Court on Thursday said that while the RBI cannot ask banks to waive the loans of Wayanad landslides victims the Union government and the National Disaster Management Authority can do so reported news agency PTIA bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Easwaran S said it will pass orders nudging the Centre and the NDMA to ask the banks to waive off the loans reported PTIThe bench pointed out that the Kerala Bank had waived off the disaster victims loans and it had an exposure of around Rs five croreThe High Court observed that if the Kerala Bank can do it then the other banks which have lesser exposure can also do the sameIt only requires a bit of goading from the NDMA and the Union government it said reported PTIThe observations came in the wake of the central government filing an affidavit earlier in the week stating that according to the RBIs Master Directions on Natural Calamities the loans of the Wayanad landslides victims can only be restructured or rescheduled reported PTIThe bench also directed the state government to take adequate measures including removal of debris to ensure there is not another disaster like the one last yearPreparatory measures should start before the monsoons It has already started raining now The NDMA should liaise with the State Disaster Management Authority SDMA to avert any possible disaster this year the High Court said reported PTIThe bench was hearing a PIL initiated by the court on its own in the wake of the Wayanad landslides aimed at improving disaster prevention and management in KeralaA major landslide struck the Mundakkai and Chooralmala regions on July 30 last year almost completely decimating both areasThe disaster left hundreds injured claimed over 200 lives and 32 persons remain missingPriyanka Gandhi Vadra slams Centre on no loan waiver for Wayanad landslidesWith the Centre telling the Kerala High Court that the loans of people affected by the landslides in Wayanad last year would not be waived Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday said this is a betrayal and her party strongly condemns this apathyCongress general secretary and Wayanad MP Vadra said We strongly condemn this apathy and stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in WayanadWayanad landslide victims have lost everything homes land livelihoods Yet the government refuses to offer even a loan waiver Instead they get mere loan rescheduling and restructuring she saidThis is not relief This is a betrayal We strongly condemn this apathy and stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in WayanadTheir pain will not be ignored we will raise their voices at every platform until justice is served Gandhi said in a post on XWith inputs from PTIatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params