Lok Sabha Question No. 2251 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-20
Subject: Ex-Gratia Payment to Next of Kin of COVID Victims
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Bhagirath Chaudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2251

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 20 TH  DECEMBER, 2022/ AGRAHAYANA 29, 1944 (SAKA)

EX-GRATIA PAYMENT TO NEXT KIN OF COVID VICTIMS

†2251.      SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) the funds released by the Union Government to the State Governments during  the  last  two  years  in  the  State  Disaster  Relief  funds  to  make  exgratia  payment  to  the  next  kin  of  the  people  who  died  due  to  Covid-19, State-wise including Rajasthan;

(b) the details of funds utilised by the State Governments out of the said fund so far;

(c)  weather  the  Union  Government  propose  to  make  direct  payment  to people affected by the disasters such as Covid-19 by way of any common website; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER

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

(a) to (d):   As per the National Policy on Disaster Management, the primary responsibility for disaster management,  including disbursal of relief assistance  to  the  affected  people,  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  the  Government  of India's approved items and norms.

Based on the recommendations of the successive Finance Commissions, Central Government has issued guidelines on Constitution and Administration of SDRF. As per these guidelines SDRF shall be used only for meeting the expenditure for providing immediate relief to the victims of 12  calamities,  viz.  cyclone,  drought,  earthquake,  fire,  flood,  tsunami, hailstorm,  landslide,  avalanche,  cloud  burst,  pest  attack  and  frost  & coldwave.

Keeping in view the spread of COVID-19 Virus in India and the declaration of COVID-19 as pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), by way of  a  special  onetime  dispensation,  the  Central  Government  had  allowed the States to use SDRF towards COVID-19 containment measures for the financial  years  2019-20,  2020-21  and  2021-22.  Further,  based  on  the guidelines  issued  by  National  Disaster  Management  Authority  (NDMA), under  section  12(iii)  of  the  Disaster  Management  Act,  2005,  on  11 th September, 2021, Central Government had allowed the States to use SDRF to  provide  ex-gratia  assistance  of  Rs.  50,000  to  the  next  of  kin  of  the deceased due to COVID-19.

The  States-wise  details  of  allocation  and  release  of  funds  under  SDRF during  the  financial  year  2021-22  and  2022-23  (till  30.11.2022)  are  at Annexure-I and Annexure-II respectively.

The  distribution  of  relief  on  ground  is  the  responsibility  of  the  State Government  concerned.  However,  as  per  guidelines  of  SDRF  all  the individual beneficiary-oriented assistance is required to be disbursed only through bank accounts of the beneficiary. Further, as per guidelines issued by the NDMA on the 11 th  September, 2021, the ex-gratia assistance by the States from their SDRF to the next of kin of victims of COVID-19 is to be disbursed  through Direct Benefit Transfer procedures.

*****

## Annexure-I

## Allocation and Release of Funds from SDRF during 2021-22

## As on 31.03.2022

(Rs. in crore)

| Sl. No   | Name of State     | Allocation of SDRF   | Allocation of SDRF   | Allocation of SDRF   | Releases from   | Releases from   |
|----------|-------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| Sl. No   | Name of State     | Central Share        | State Share          | Total                | 1 st Instalment | 2 nd Instalment |
| 1        | 2                 | 3                    | 4                    | 5                    | 6               | 7               |
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    | 895.20               | 297.60               | 1192.8               | 447.60          | 447.60          |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh | 200.00               | 22.40                | 222.40               | 100.00          | 100.00          |
| 3        | Assam             | 617.60               | 68.80                | 686.40               | 308.80          | 308.80          |
| 4        | Bihar             | 1132.80              | 377.60               | 1510.40              | 566.40          | 566.40          |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh      | 345.60               | 115.20               | 460.80               | 172.80          | 172.80          |
| 6        | Goa               | 9.60                 | 2.40                 | 12.00                | 4.80            | 4.80            |
| 7        | Gujarat           | 1059.20              | 352.80               | 1412.00              | 529.60          | 529.60          |
| 8        | Haryana           | 392.80               | 131.20               | 524.00               | 196.40          | 196.40          |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh  | 327.20               | 36.00                | 363.20               | 163.60          | 163.60          |
| 10       | Jharkhand         | 454.40               | 151.20               | 605.60               | 227.20          | 227.20          |
| 11       | Karnataka         | 632.80               | 210.40               | 843.20               | 316.40          | 316.40          |
| 12       | Kerala            | 251.20               | 84.00                | 335.20               | 125.60          | 125.60          |
| 13       | Madhya Pradesh    | 1456.00              | 485.60               | 1941.60              | 728.00          | 728.00          |
| 14       | Maharashtra       | 2577.60              | 859.20               | 3436.80              | 1288.80         | 1288.80         |
| 15       | Manipur           | 33.60                | 4.00                 | 37.60                | 16.80           | 16.80           |
| 16       | Meghalaya         | 52.80                | 5.60                 | 58.40                | 26.40           | 26.40           |
| 17       | Mizoram           | 37.60                | 4.00                 | 41.60                | 18.80           | 18.80           |
| 18       | Nagaland          | 32.80                | 4.00                 | 36.80                | 16.40           | 16.40           |
| 19       | Odisha            | 1283.20              | 428.00               | 1711.20              | 641.60          | 641.60          |
| 20       | Punjab            | 396.00               | 132.00               | 528.00               | 198.00          | 198.00          |
| 21       | Rajasthan         | 1184.80              | 395.20               | 1580.00              | 592.40          | 592.40          |
| 22       | Sikkim            | 40.00                | 4.80                 | 44.80                | 20.00           | 20.00           |
| 23       | Tamil Nadu        | 816.00               | 272.00               | 1088.00              | 408.00          | 408.00          |
| 24       | Telangana         | 359.20               | 120.00               | 479.20               | 179.60          | 179.60          |
| 25       | Tripura           | 54.40                | 6.40                 | 60.80                | 27.20           | 27.20           |
| 26       | Uttar Pradesh     | 1546.40              | 516.00               | 2062.40              | 773.20          | 773.20          |
| 27       | Uttarakhand       | 749.60               | 83.20                | 832.80               | 374.80          | 374.80          |
| 28       | West Bengal       | 808.80               | 269.60               | 1078.40              | 404.40          | 404.40          |
|          | Total:-           | 17747.20             | 5439.20              | 23186.40             | 8873.60         | 8873.60         |

****

## Allocation and Release of Funds from SDRF during 2022-2023

As on 30.11.2022 (Rs. In crore)

| Sl. No.   | Name of State     | Allocation of SDRF   | Allocation of SDRF   | Allocation of SDRF   | Release from SDRF   | Release from SDRF   |
|-----------|-------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
|           |                   | Central Share        | State Share          | Total                | 1 st Installment    | 2 nd Installment    |
| 1         | 2                 | 3                    | 4                    | 5                    | 6                   | 7                   |
| 1.        | Andhra Pradesh    | 940.00               | 312.80               | 1252.80              | 470.00              |                     |
| 2.        | Arunachal Pradesh | 210.40               | 23.20                | 233.60               |                     |                     |
| 3.        | Assam             | 648.80               | 72.00                | 720.80               | 324.40              | 324.40              |
| 4.        | Bihar             | 1189.60              | 396.80               | 1586.40              | 594.80              |                     |
| 5.        | Chhattisgarh      | 363.20               | 120.80               | 484.00               |                     |                     |
| 6.        | Goa               | 9.60                 | 3.20                 | 12.80                | 4.80                |                     |
| 7.        | Gujarat           | 1112.00              | 370.40               | 1482.40              | 556.00              |                     |
| 8.        | Haryana           | 412.80               | 137.60               | 550.40               | 206.40              |                     |
| 9.        | Himachal Pradesh  | 342.40               | 38.40                | 380.80               | 171.20              | 171.20              |
| 10.       | Jharkhand         | 476.80               | 158.40               | 635.20               |                     |                     |
| 11.       | Karnataka         | 664.00               | 221.60               | 885.60               | 332.00              | 332.00              |
| 12.       | Kerala            | 264.00               | 88.00                | 352.00               | 132.00              |                     |
| 13.       | Madhya Pradesh    | 1528.80              | 509.60               | 2038.40              | 764.40              |                     |
| 14.       | Maharashtra       | 2706.40              | 902.40               | 3608.80              | 1353.20             |                     |
| 15.       | Manipur           | 35.20                | 4.00                 | 39.20                | 17.60               |                     |
| 16.       | Meghalaya         | 54.40                | 6.40                 | 60.80                | 27.20               |                     |
| 17.       | Mizoram           | 39.20                | 4.00                 | 43.20                | 19.60               |                     |
| 18.       | Nagaland          | 34.40                | 4.00                 | 38.40                | 17.20               | 17.20               |
| 19.       | Odisha            | 1348.00              | 448.80               | 1796.80              | 674.00              |                     |
| 20.       | Punjab            | 416.00               | 138.40               | 554.40               | 208.00              |                     |
| 21.       | Rajasthan         | 1244.80              | 414.40               | 1659.20              | 622.40              |                     |
| 22.       | Sikkim            | 42.40                | 4.80                 | 47.20                | 21.20               | 21.20               |
| 23.       | Tamil Nadu        | 856.80               | 285.60               | 1142.40              | 428.40              |                     |
| 24.       | Telangana         | 377.60               | 125.60               | 503.20               | 188.80              |                     |
| 25.       | Tripura           | 56.80                | 6.40                 | 63.20                |                     |                     |
| 26.       | Uttar Pradesh     | 1624.00              | 541.60               | 2165.60              | 812.00              |                     |
| 27.       | Uttarakhand       | 787.20               | 87.20                | 874.40               | 393.60              |                     |
| 28.       | West Bengal       | 849.60               | 283.20               | 1132.80              | 424.80              |                     |
|           | Total             | 18635.20             | 5709.60              | 24344.80             | 8764.00             | 866.00              |

*****