Staff Reporter

A High Level Committee under the chairmanship of Home Minister Amit Shah has approved over 3,063 crore rupees of Additional Central Assistance to six states. Assam, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal will get funds for floods, landslides and cyclones that occurred during this year.

The High Level Committee has approved Additional Central Assistance of over 1,133 crore rupees to Gujarat for cyclone Tauktae and 586.59 crore rupees to West Bengal for cyclone Yaas. For floods and landslides during the South West Monsoon, 51.53 crore rupees will be given to Assam, 504.06 crore rupees to Karnataka, 600.50 crore rupees to Madhya Pradesh and 187.18 crore rupees will be given to Uttarakhand.

This additional assistance is over and above the funds released by the Centre to the States in the State Disaster Response Fund, already placed at the disposal of the states. During the financial year 2021-22, the Central Government has released over 17 thousand 747 crores to 28 states in their SDRF. Further, more than 3,543 crore rupees has been released to seven states from NDRF.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Taukte and Yaas, one thousand crore rupees was released in advance from NDRF to Gujarat on 20th of May and 300 crore rupees to West Bengal on 29th of May.

During the year 2021-22, the Central Government had deputed 22 Inter-Ministerial Central Teams immediately after natural calamities, without waiting for the receipt of a Memorandum from the affected State Governments.