Funds For Floods: Centre Releases Rs 251.55 Crore of SDRF

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The Centre has released Rs 251.55 crore as the first installment of SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund) for the year 2019-20. The devastating floods have wreaked havoc in Assam. However, with the release of this fund, one can be rest assured that the State government is not going to face cash crunch when it comes to renovation and reconstruction of embankments and roads damaged by floods, besides carrying out relief and rehabilitation works and making ex-gratia payment to the next of kin of people killed in floods.

It was barely at the fag-end of June this year that the State Revenue and Disaster Management Department had sent its letter to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the release of the first installment of SDRF for the year 2019-20, and the department got the fund released on Tuesday.

The total SDRF allocation for fiscal 2019-20 is Rs 559 crore. Now the State Revenue and Disaster Management Department is to move the State Finance Department for the matching State share. The disaster response funds are shared between the Centre and the State government in 90:10.

Meanwhile, State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the release of the fund. He said, “This shall immensely help in relief operations and mitigating sufferings of people affected by floods”.

Also Read: State Government Released Rs 20 Crore For Flood Relief