Did HM Shah Approve Additional Rs 707 Crore for Flood-Hit Assam and Gujarat?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Rs 707.97 crore approved for Assam and Gujarat.
- Funds provided from the NDRF.
- Assistance includes Rs 313.69 crore for Assam and Rs 394.28 crore for Gujarat.
- Additional Rs 903.67 crore for fire services in other states.
- Funds support recovery from severe disasters.
New Delhi, Oct 7 (NationPress) The High-Level Committee (HLC), led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has given the green light for an additional Rs 707.97 crore in Central assistance to Assam and Gujarat, which have been adversely impacted by floods and landslides in 2024, according to an official announcement made on Tuesday.
This Central funding is allocated from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), contingent upon a 50 percent adjustment of the opening balance available in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), as stated by the official.
Of the total Rs 707.97 crore, Rs 313.69 crore has been earmarked for Assam and Rs 394.28 crore for Gujarat.
Furthermore, the HLC has also approved Rs 903.67 crore for Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan under the NDRF for the Expansion and Modernisation of Fire Services.
This total allocation of Rs 903.67 crore includes Rs 676.33 crore as Central assistance. Specifically, Rs 117.19 crore has been approved for Haryana, Rs 397.54 crore for Madhya Pradesh, and Rs 388.94 crore for Rajasthan.
This latest round of funding is in addition to the resources already released by the Centre to the states through the SDRF.
During the financial year 2025-26, the Central government has allocated Rs 13,603.20 crore to 27 states via SDRF, and Rs 2,024.04 crore to 12 states through NDRF.
Moreover, Rs 4,571.30 crore has been dispatched from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 21 states, along with Rs 372.09 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to nine states.
The National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), established under Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, is designed to support the SDRF of a state when faced with significant disasters, provided sufficient funds are not available in the SDRF, as outlined by the Ministry.
The dispersal of funds from both SDRF and NDRF is governed by the recommendations of successive Financial Commissions. For SDRF, contributions are shared by the Central and state governments in a ratio of 75:25 for all states, except for the North-Eastern and Himalayan States, where it is 90:10. In contrast, the NDRF is fully funded by the Central government, according to the ministry.