The Supreme Court today directed the government to formulate a national plan for disaster management to provide relief and rehabilitation to calamity- affected persons.
A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh asked the Centre to draw up the plan within eight weeks, after it was submitted that such a draft was already in its final stages and pending approval.
The counsel appearing for the Centre submitted that at present there is no national plan for disaster management, although a policy existed with regard to relief and rehabilitation of those affected.
The counsel further said the draft plan is already ready and pending final approval,which will be done within a month.
"Why do you have no plan? It is an Act of 2005. For year after year, you have not approved the national plan. It has to start from the top, then the states will follow," the bench said.
The apex court also issued notice to the Centre and the states seeking their replies in six weeks on an application seeking formulation of a concrete National Plan to deal with the post-disaster situation.
The interlocutory application, filed by advocate Gaurav Bansal, said in the aftermath of disasters, death, destruction and trauma affect the victims who get into unacceptable miserable situation.
"The petitioner would contend that there are many states which suffer from disasters that eventually lead to economic disaster which would include disaster in the sphere of agriculture," it said while seeking formulation of a national plan for disaster management and implementation of the Act.
Quoting a CAG report on the implementation of the Disaster Management Act, the plea said, "Even after expiry of nine years of the Disaster Management Act, the Union of India has not formulated the National Plan for Disaster Management."
On February 26, Supreme Court had directed the Chief Secretaries of states to frame and comply with guidelines under the Disaster Management Act on the issue of minimum standard of relief to affected persons.
The apex court had earlier issued notices to Uttarakhand and six other states on the PIL that had alleged that they failed in implementing Disaster Management Act in order to handle natural catastrophe.
