Rs 150 crore reallocated to GR head from State Disaster Response Fund

The original budget allocation under the 'GR' head in fiscal 2020-21 was Rs 138.22 crore. During the budgetary allocation for this fiscal, only flood was in sight. However, bulk of the funds from GR head was spent for COVID-19 that emerged in a dramatic turn of events from China. As though to cap it all, the first wave of floods came early this year. COVID-19 and floods together almost exhausted the funds allocated for GR head when barely two months of the fiscal have gone.

While the State has more waves of floods to face during this fiscal, how long will COVID-19 ravage the State is quite uncertain. The shortfall of GR funds has compelled the State Disaster Management department to reallocate Rs 150 crore to its GR head from the SDRF that had Rs 652.08 crore. The State Finance department has already given its nod to the reallocation of funds to GR head.

The GR fund is used for supply of food materials to flood-affected people, setting up of relief camps etc. However, this time around bulk of the fund has been spent on erecting quarantine facilities and supplying food to people in quarantine.

Of late, the State has been facing yet another disaster – oil well blowout at Baghjan in Tinsukia district. The State Disaster Management department had to release Rs 50 lakh for the people affected by the oil blowout there.

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