The Tamil Nadu government has moved the Supreme Court against the Central government for allegedly not releasing relief funds for damages caused by the recent floods and cyclone Maichung, the Bar and Bench reported on Wednesday.

The state alleged the Centre is yet to act upon the report by an inter-ministerial team that visited the state to assess damages caused by cyclones and floods.

It has sought directions from the top court to the Centre to release Rs 19,692.69 crore as aid for the damage caused by cyclone Michaung in December 2023. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government has also asked for the release of Rs 18,214.52 crore financial assistance towards damages caused by unprecedented and extremely heavy rainfall in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu in the same month.

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In its plea, the state said that the Central government has not heeded the state’s repeated requests.

“There is no justification in delaying the release of funds,” the petition said. “The differential treatment in the release of funds in comparison to other states is tantamount to class discrimination. It violates the fundamental rights of those who have suffered due to calamities and faced greater hardships and irreparable losses.”

The plea called the Centre’s treatment towards Tamil Nadu “stepmotherly” and said that it “violates the National Disaster Management Policy, including financial relations and the federal nature of tax division”.

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The Tamil Nadu government also said the inaction has hampered the state’s development and caused mental agony and hardship to its people.

Tamil Nadu is the second state after Karnataka to approach the Supreme Court alleging that the Centre was not providing the funds to deal with natural calamities and drought.

On March 23, the Congress-led Karnataka government moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to extend relief of Rs 18,171.44 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund.