Lok Sabha Question No. 5478 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-05
Subject: Funds for Disaster Management
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Raju Bista

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5478

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 05 TH  APRIL, 2022/CHAITRA 15,1944 (SAKA)

FUNDS FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT

5478.  SHRI RAJU BISTA:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  the  details  of  funds  allocated  and  released  under  Disaster  Relief  in  the districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong and the share of Centre/State in these funds;

(b)  whether  the  Government  intends  to  develop  mechanism  for  proper  and quick  assessment  and  timely  delivery  of  the  National  Disaster  Response Force (NDRF) relief; and

(c) the details of disaster management and mitigation measures undertaken in the districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI NITYANAND RAI)

(a)  to  (c):  The  primary  responsibility  for  disaster  management,  including disbursement of relief assistance on the ground level, rests with the State Governments concerned. The State Governments undertake relief measures in  the  wake  of  natural  disasters,  from  the  State  Disaster  Response  Fund (SDRF), already placed at their disposal, in accordance with Government of India's approved items and norms. Additional financial assistance is granted by the Central Government from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to State Governments in the event of disaster of a severe nature, based on an assessment  by an  Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT).  District-wise funds

## L.S.US.Q.NO. 5478 FOR 05.04.2022

allocations  &  releases  is  the  responsibility  of  the  State  Governments.  The Central Government does not maintain such information of releases of funds to the districts by the States.

During  the  current  financial  year  2021-22,  the  State  Government  of West  Bengal  had  been  allocated  Rs.  1078.40  crore  under  SDRF,  which includes  Rs  808.80  crore  as  central  share  and  Rs  269.60  crore  as  State share. The Central share has been released, in advance, to the Government of West Bengal in two installments of Rs. 404.40 crore each.  In addition, an amount  of  Rs.  300  crore  had  been  released  from  NDRF  to  the  State Government  on  an  'on  account'  basis  in  wake  of  cyclonic  storm  'Yaas'  of 2021. Besides, the State Government had a balance of Rs. 1423.01 crore on 01.04.2021 in the SDRF.

In the wake of cyclonic storm 'Yaas' in May-2021 and flood/landslide in JulyAugust,  2021  in  West  Bengal,  which  included  reported  damages  in  the districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, IMCTs constituted by Central Government visited the affected areas on 6 th  June to 9 th  June, 2021 and on 24 th   to  25 th   September, 2021, respectively. Based on the IMCTs reports, the High Level Committee (HLC) approved the additional financial assistance of 586.59 crore for Cyclone 'Yaas' and Rs. 475.04 crore for flood 2021 (subject to  the  adjustment  of  50%  of  opening  balance  available  in  the  SDRF  of  the State as on 01.04.2021) from NDRF.

## L.S.US.Q.NO. 5478 FOR 05.04.2022

Under the existing practice in vogue, IMCT used to be deputed after the receipt of Memorandum from the State Government affected by a disaster of severe nature.  In order to expedite the assessment and release of additional financial assistance  to States, Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  had  taken  a significant  decision  on  19.08.2019  to  depute  IMCT  immediately  in  the aftermath of any natural calamity of severe nature, and without waiting for the memorandum from the State Government.

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