All to restore normalcy! Centre approves Rs 5,751 cr to 8 states affected by natural disasters 2019

New Delhi, March 28: In a bid to restrict the spread of the deadly corona virus, India amid the 21 day lock down is continuously taking efforts to restore normalcy. Meanwhile, the High Level Committee under the Chairmanship of MHA Amit Shah has also decided to approve additional monetary assistance of over Rs 5,751 crores under National Disaster Response Fund to eight States, which were vastly affected by floods, landslides, cyclone, drought last year.

While over Rs 953 crores of assistance is given to Bihar of which Rs 400 crore is already released on account basis, Rs 460 crore have been alloted to Kerala, Rs 177 crore to Nagaland, Rs 179 crore to Odisha, Rs 1758 crore to Maharashtra, Rs 1120 crore to Rajasthan and Rs 1090 crore to West Bengal for floods, landslides, cyclone, drought (kharif) during 2019. However the state of Karnataka is recipient of Rs 11 crores of additional assitance under Animal Husbandry sector for drought (rabi) of 2018-19.

"The approved additional Central assistance to eight States from NDRF is subject to the adjustment of 50 per cent of balances available in the SDRF account as on 1st April of the financial year", the statement read. It is in 2019-20 that the Centre had already released over Rs 10, 937 crores to 29 States including erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir as Central share from State Disaster Response Fund and addtional assistance of over Rs 14, 108 crores to 8 States under NDRF.

 

The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), constituted under Section 48 (1) (a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, is the primary fund available with State Governments for responses to notified disasters. The Central Government contributes 75% of SDRF allocation for general category States/UTs and 90% for special category States/UTs (NE States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir).