New Delhi: The High-Level Committee (HLC), chaired by Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah, has sanctioned Rs 1,554.99 crore in additional central assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for five states affected by natural calamities in 2024.
The financial aid aims to support recovery efforts in Southern states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, two North-Easter states Nagaland and Tripura, as well as Odisha, all of which faced severe floods, flash floods, landslides and cyclone storm.
As per the approval, Andhra Pradesh will receive Rs 608.08 crore, Telangana Rs 231.75 crore, Tripura Rs 288.93 crore, Nagaland Rs 170.99 and Odisha Rs 255.24 crore.
This assistance is granted with the provision that 50 per cent of the states’ opening balance for the year in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) will be adjusted against the sanctioned amount.
The additional funding comes on top of the financial resources already allocated by the Centre. In the Financial Year 2024-25, the central government has distributed Rs 18,322.80 crore to 27 states under SDRF and Rs 4,808.30 crore from NDRF to 18 states.
Additionally, Rs 2,208.55 crore has been provided from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 14 states, while Rs 719.72 crore has been released from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to eight states.
To expedite relief measures, the Centre deployed Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) to assess the damage in the affected states immediately after the disasters, even before receiving formal requests from state governments.
The recent decision also underscores the government’s commitment to assisting disaster-hit regions and ensuring timely support for affected communities.
After the announcement, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu applauded the decision by the committee, stating:
“On behalf of the people of Andhra Pradesh, I express heartfelt gratitude to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and Hon’ble Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah Ji for sanctioning Rs 608.08 Cr for our state out of the Rs 1554.99 Cr allocated to all states under disaster and flood relief.”
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