Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reinstate Section 13 of the National Disaster Management Act, 2005. This clause had previously empowered the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to suggest loan waivers, write-offs, or fresh credit for individuals impacted by large-scale natural calamities.

Vijayan stepped in following the Centre’s recent submission to the Kerala High Court, confirming that Section 13 has been repealed from the Act.

The Union Government had cited the removal of this section as the reason it cannot facilitate loan waivers for those affected by the devastating Wayanad landslide in July 2024.

In his letter, the Chief Minister underscored that the section served as a crucial financial lifeline for disaster survivors who are left to rebuild their lives after suffering major losses.

He further stressed that the clause was embedded in the Act with a humanitarian perspective, and removing it only increases the burden on those already grappling with tragedy.

Vijayan’s intervention reflects the growing concern over diminishing avenues of institutional support for disaster victims in the absence of this provision.

He called for the Centre to reconsider the decision in light of its profound impact on vulnerable citizens in disaster-hit areas like Wayanad.