The Kerala High Court on Wednesday requested the Centre to consider excluding approximately Rs 120 crore from the Rs 132 crore demanded as airlift charges for rescue operations conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the state since 2006. 

A division bench of Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Easwaran S noted that if the Rs 120 crore were released, it could be immediately allocated to rehabilitate landslide victims in Wayanad. The court listed the matter on January 10, 2025, to await the Centre's response.

During the hearing, the bench remarked that the timing of the Rs 132 crore bill, received in October immediately after the state requested financial aid for rehabilitation in Wayanad, appeared to be a "psychological move." The court emphasized that the request was for a noble cause.

The Defence Ministry issued a demand for Rs 132 crore to the Kerala government for rescue operations undertaken by the IAF since 2006, particularly citing the devastating landslides that destroyed three villages in Wayanad district, reported PTI. 

A letter dated October 22, 2024, regarding the settlement of outstanding airlift charges was received by then chief secretary of the state, V Venu, on November 2, 2024. This letter contained a breakdown of bills that the Kerala government had not cleared for the IAF's rescue efforts.

A significant portion—over Rs 100 crore—of the outstanding bills pertains to the rescue operations conducted during the catastrophic floods of 2018. Additionally, bills totalling over Rs 13 crore relate to IAF operations in response to the landslides that devastated the Wayanad district on July 30.

The High Court highlighted that the state government currently has around Rs 61 crore in its State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) account, accounting for existing commitments. If the Rs 120 crore is released, the total available for immediate use towards rehabilitating landslide victims in Wayanad will rise to Rs 180 crore.

A lawyer representing the Centre stated that permission from the central government is needed to free up the Rs 120 crore temporarily and that the Union government must relax the norms of the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) and SDRF to allow the utilisation of the Rs 180 crore for rehabilitation efforts. The bench then urged the Centre to consider these relaxations to facilitate the state's access to the necessary funds.