Will Dispur be able to utilize on time Rs 1,275.63 crore?

DISASTER RESPONSE FUND

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: With the approval of additional funds under NDRF (National Disaster Response Fund) by the Centre for repair work of various infrastructure damaged during the 2019 floods in Assam, now the ball is in the court of Dispur as to how the sanctioned money will be utilized for the purpose it is meant for. This is particularly so as the departments concerned often fail to rise up to the occasion.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday approved Rs 616.63 crore to Assam for flood damage repair work under NDRF. The money released by the Centre under NDRF is an additional fund for restoration work following natural disasters. It is 100 per cent Central fund.

Significantly, this is the sixth time since 1995 that the MHA has approved the NDRF fund to Assam. Rs 21 crore was approved in fiscal 1996-97; Rs 59.90 crore in 1998-99; Rs 211.55 crore in 2004-05; Rs 300 crore in 2008-09; and Rs 45 crore in 2012-13.

However, the State government already has an unspent amount of approximately Rs 659 crore for such work under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). This regular fund is also annually refurbished by the Central government to the States with 90 per cent being the Central share and the remaining 10 per cent that of the States concerned.

At the commencement of the present fiscal on April 1, 2019, the opening balance with Assam government under SDRF was the unspent amount of Rs 315 crore. For fiscal 2019-20, the Central government had allocated Rs 559 crore to the State under SDRF. Therefore the total SDRF amount with Assam government was Rs 874 crore. Of this, so far Rs 215 crore has been already spent. Now, the Assam government has a balance of Rs 659 crore under SDRF. Taking together the SDRF and NDRF funds, the total amount with the Assam government at the end of the present fiscal (2019-20) will be Rs 1,275.63 crore.

With this massive amount, it remains to be seen as to how promptly the State government begins the process of restructuring the damaged roads, bridges, embankments and other government properties damaged during the past floods across the State. During the last 2019 floods, more than 100 persons died and substantial infrastructural damages took place in the State.

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