'Who are you trying to fool', HC asks Centre over Wayanad loan waiver

The court was hearing a suo motu case concerning plight of landslide victims of Kerala dist

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE Kochi

THE Kerala High Court on Wednesday came down heavily on the Union government for its refusal to consider waiving the loans of the victims of last year's Wayanad landslides, saying the Centre had failed the people of Kerala.

In a strongly worded oral observation, a division bench comprising Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Jobin Sebastian said: "Enough is enough. We don't need the Union government's charity.

This is just bureaucratic babble. It is not about whether the Centre can act, but whether it is willing to act. If you are unwilling to act, we (the division bench) have the courage to say it. Who are you trying to fool?" The court was hearing a suo motu case concerning the plight of Wayanad's landslide victims who are facing loan recovery proceedings.