SC notice to Centre on tsunami relief mishandling

New Delhi, Mar 26: The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre and the administration of Andaman and Nicobar islands on a petition seeking investigation by an independent agency into the alleged bungling in distribution of relief material as well as rehabilitation of the tsunami victims.

A bench comprising Cheif Justice Y K Sabharwal and Mr Justice C K Thakker issued notices on Friday on the petition filed by a Port Blair lawyer, Kranti, alleging huge bungling in the distribution of the relief material and that the same had not reached the victims till date.

Andaman and Nicobar were the first affected area in India during the devastating tsunami that hit South-East Asia in December 2004.

Thousands of people were killed and millions were rendered homeless during the havoc played by sky high tides.

Earlier, the Calcutta High Court had dismissed the same petition on the grounds that the evidence was not sufficent to prove even prime facie the allegations of improper distribution of the relief material provided by the state agencies.

States like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and West Benegal were also devastated by the tsunami.

The petitioner has also sought guidelines from the apex court for streamlining and blugging the loopholes in the distribution of the relief material as well as rehabilitation of the victims.

UNI