Has the Centre Approved Rs 2,006 Crore Fund for Himachal's Recovery from Floods and Landslides?

New Delhi, June 18 (NationPress) A high-ranking committee led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has sanctioned Rs 2006.40 crore as Central aid to Himachal Pradesh for its recovery and reconstruction efforts following the devastating floods, landslides, and cloudburst events of 2023.

The committee, which includes the Finance Minister, Agriculture Minister, and Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, reviewed the proposal for financial help to the state from the recovery and reconstruction funding pool under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

This financial support from the Centre is crucial for the state to undertake necessary recovery and reconstruction initiatives due to the extensive damage caused during the 2023 monsoon season. Of the total approved amount of Rs 2,006.40 crore, Rs 1,504.80 crore will come from the Recovery and Reconstruction Funding Window under the NDRF. Earlier, on December 12, 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs had also approved additional funding of Rs 633.73 crore from the NDRF for Himachal Pradesh, which suffered significantly from this disaster, as stated in an official release.

The Central government had also approved recovery plans for Uttarakhand amounting to Rs 1,658.17 crore in response to the Joshimath subsidence and another Rs 555.27 crore for Sikkim following the GLOF incident in 2023.

Additionally, the Central government has greenlit multiple mitigation projects with a total financial commitment of Rs 7,253.51 crore aimed at reducing risks from various hazards, including urban floods (Rs 3,075.65 crore), landslides (Rs 1,000 crore), GLOF (Rs 150 crore), forest fires (Rs 818.92 crore), lightning (Rs 186.78 crore), and drought (Rs 2,022.16 crore).

This additional funding is separate from the resources already allocated by the Centre to the states through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). In the financial year 2024-25, the Central government has disbursed Rs 20,264.40 crore to 28 states via SDRF and Rs 5,160.76 crore through NDRF to 19 states. Furthermore, Rs 4,984.25 crore from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) and Rs 719.72 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) have also been allocated, as per the statement.

“Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the Government of India stands firmly alongside state governments during natural disasters. To realize Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a disaster-resilient India, the Ministry of Home Affairs, guided by Home Minister Amit Shah, has implemented several initiatives for effective disaster management in the country. Various measures have been taken to minimize loss of life and property during disasters by reinforcing the disaster risk reduction framework in India,” the statement concluded.