Disaster Funds 2019-20: Dispur Seeks Centre To Release Rs 252 Crore

GUWAHATI: The State Revenue and Disaster Management (R&DM) department has sent a missive to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) seeking the release of the first installment of the Central share of the SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund) for the fiscal 2019-20, besides sending the UCs (utilization certificates) of funds spent in fiscal 2018-19.

The funding pattern in SDRF between New Delhi and Dispur is 90:10. In fiscal 2019-20, the allocation of SDRF funds for Assam is Rs 559 crore, and 90 per cent of this fund has to come from the Centre in two installments within this fiscal.

In its letter to the MHA, the State R&DM department has sought the latter to release Rs 252 crore as the first installments of SDRF for the current financial year. In the same letter, the State department has also sent UCs amounting to Rs 406 crore spent in fiscal 2018-19.

The State R&DM department allocated maximum SDRF money for two departments – Rs 250 crore for the Department of Water Resources and Rs 75 crore for the PWD for repair and restoration works – in fiscal 2018-19.

SDRF money is spent on disaster-related matters like relief, repair and restoration works, paying compensation to disaster-affected families etc.

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