The Supreme Court of India emphasized the need for cooperation rather than conflict between the Union and State governments while addressing the petition from Karnataka which alleged the Central government's reluctance in extending financial assistance to tackle the drought situation in certain areas of the state. The court has asked the Central government to provide a response to the state's request. 

A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta presided over the proceedings, expressing concern over the emerging trend of State governments resorting to legal recourse to secure essential relief funds. The bench emphasized the need to avoid adversarial contests between the Union and State authorities, highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing humanitarian crises such as droughts.

The Karnataka government, in its plea before the Supreme Court, lamented the Central government's purported failure to act upon an Inter-Ministerial Central Team report on the disaster, which has remained pending for nearly six months. Additionally, the State alleged that the withholding of National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) benefits further exacerbated the plight of affected regions, leading to a violation of the fundamental rights of the people of Karnataka.

Representing the Union government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta challenged the timing and approach of Karnataka's petition, suggesting that direct communication between the State and Union authorities could have been pursued instead of resorting to legal recourse under Article 32 of the Constitution. Mehta underscored the significance of constructive dialogue and questioned the motives behind the timing of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) amidst the backdrop of impending Lok Sabha elections.

Acknowledging the gravity of the matter, the Supreme Court directed Solicitor General Mehta and Attorney General R Venkataramani to provide instructions within a two-week timeframe. The Court's directive aimed to facilitate meaningful deliberations between the concerned parties, with a view to resolving the impasse and ensuring timely relief measures for drought-affected areas in Karnataka.

The plea that was filed by the Karnataka government, through advocate DL Chidananda and supported by Senior Counsel Devadatt Kamat and Advocate General K Shashi Kiran Shetty, underscores the growing trend of State governments resorting to legal avenues to address grievances against the Central government's allocation of relief funds.

This development comes against the backdrop of similar grievances raised by other State governments, including Tamil Nadu, which has also approached the Supreme Court alleging a lack of adequate relief funds from the Central government to address damages caused by natural calamities.

Case: State of Karnataka vs. Union of India and ors.