Citing financial inability, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan wrote a letter to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, asking him to exempt the state from making such a hefty payment. 

The letter, dated July 25 explains how restoring all the damages would require close to ₹31,000 crore, which is a huge ask compared to the flow of funds that the government of Kerala received during the disaster.  

The letter stated: 

You would appreciate that in such a situation, it is difficult to find such a huge amount due to the Indian Air Force from the State Disaster Response Fund. I would, therefore, request your kind consideration to exempt the payment of Rs 113.69 crore to the IAF considering the present situation of Kerala

Further stating that his government needs more resources to take forward the ‘Rebuild Kerala Initiative’, he added: 

The state of Kerala was struck by Cyclone Ockhi in 2017 and floods in 2018 which caused immense damage to life and property and created stress on the already fragile financial situation of the state. 

The National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) contributed ₹2,904 crore for rescue and relief operations to take place in Kerala in 2018.