There are complaints that the Union government has been favouring NDA-ruled states in the allocation of relief funds, while ignoring others, especially in South India.
Published Oct 11, 2024 | 4:31 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 12, 2024 | 2:27 PM
Rescue volunteers at a landslide-affected area in Wayanad.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has so far released more than ₹14,958 crore to 21 natural calamity-hit states during the 2024-25 financial year.
The amount included ₹5858.60 crore to 14 flood-affected states as a central share from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and an advance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), the Press Information Bureau said in a statement.
These states have been affected due to extremely heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides during the southwest monsoon.
However, there are complaints that the Union government has been favouring NDA-ruled states in the allocation of relief funds, while ignoring others, especially in South India, as the grants fell short of the demand.
Karnataka requested over ₹1,200 crore to carry out relief works following the severe monsoon floods in 2024. This was highlighted in an official written response in Parliament, wherein the state’s demands for additional funds were discussed.
Tamil Nadu’s request for ₹400 crore was part of its memorandum submitted following the cyclone and flood events earlier in 2024. Kerala and Andhra Pradesh similarly filed their requests for immediate relief.
Karnataka received ₹939 crore from the NDRF. This allocation was confirmed in a parliamentary response, making Karnataka the state with the highest NDRF grant in the region, a report said.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) allocated ₹1,036 crore to Andhra Pradesh from the central share of the SDRF and an advance from the NDRF.
Meanwhile, ₹276 crore from the NDRF was given to Tamil Nadu. This was based on memorandums submitted by the state. Kerala received ₹150 crore from the NDRF.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who assessed the situation in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, recommended that the Centre provide ₹3,448 crore in immediate relief for these states.
The Telangana government had estimated damages worth ₹10,000 crore, but the Home Ministry allocated only ₹409 crore, which accounts for just 4% of the required amount.
Karnataka had significant support, especially in 2019-20, receiving ₹3,208.28 crore, followed by ₹689.27 crore in 2020-21 and ₹629.03 crore in 2021-22.
However, in 2023, Karnataka was allocated ₹3,454 crore for drought relief after the state government took the issue to the Supreme Court. Karnataka, which had been under the BJP rule, elected the Congress in 2023.
Kerala had a notable allocation of ₹2,904.85 crore in 2018-19, but there were no funds disbursed in the subsequent years.
The MHA has allocated ₹145.60 crore to Kerala from the SDRF and provided an advance from the NDRF. These funds were intended to support relief efforts following the severe rainfall, floods, and landslides that impacted the state during the southwest monsoon.
A senior state official clarified that the release of funds was the second installment of the SDRF’s central share and did not constitute additional assistance. The first installment of ₹291.2 crore was disbursed on 31 August.
The official emphasised that the state had requested extra aid beyond this year’s allocation, stating, “While the funds are necessary, they will not be sufficient for the full recovery and reconstruction efforts needed to address the extensive damage caused by the monsoon disasters, particularly the landslides in Wayanad.”
A series of massive landslides wiped out entire villages in Wayanad on 30 July, killing more than 400 people, and causing widespread destruction.
Additionally, the Revenue Department has indicated that the state was anticipating a special relief package from the NDRF, which would be considered after reviewing the assessment report from the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) that recently visited Wayanad, the official said.
Meanwhile in Tamil Nadu, Salem Dharanidharan, DMK spokesperson, pointed out the shortage of relief. “Out of the ₹5,900 crores released by the Modi government yesterday, Tamil Nadu received ₹0, while 75% (₹4,200 crore) of the overall funding has gone to five states ruled by the BJP and its allies,” he posted on X on 2 October.
Out of the 5900 crores released by the Modi govt yesterday – Tamil Nadu receives 0 rupees while 75% (4200 cr) of the overall funding has gone to 5
bJp/ allies ruled states.@TRBRajaa pic.twitter.com/peOVulmmRR— Salem Dharanidharan (@dharanisalem) October 2, 2024
“All the BJP-ruled states are receiving major funding for flood relief despite experiencing little to no flooding, while Tamil Nadu, which has faced its worst flooding in about 150 years, received nothing. If this is not a travesty of justice, what is?” he asked in another post.
All the BJP ruled states / getting major funding for flood while they experienced no flooding while Tamil Nadu which experienced worst flooding in about 150 years received 0.
If this is not travesty of justice what else is @TRBRajaa pic.twitter.com/cBOaUHLHI5
— Salem Dharanidharan (@dharanisalem) October 2, 2024
The central government maintained that it followed a balanced and transparent approach in allocating disaster relief funds across the country. The Union government pointed out its reliance on IMCT assessments as a fair method of determining the extent of assistance.
The MHA has released ₹5858.60 crore to 14 flood-affected states as part of central assistance from the SDRF and an advance from the NDRF.
The central Government typically contributes 75% to SDRF for general-category states and Union Territories, while for special-category states, including the Northeastern states, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir, the contribution rises to 90%.
This guideline was outlined in Section 48 (1) (a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and it ensured that state governments have the necessary funds for disaster relief efforts. The central contributions are usually released in two equal installments based on the recommendations of the Finance Commission.
As of October 2024, more than ₹ 14,958 crore has been released to 21 states this year alone. This includes:
₹9,044.80 crore from the SDRF
₹4,528.66 crore from the NDRF
₹1,385.45 crore from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF).
According to the disaster management guidelines policy report, the allocation of funds for disaster relief by the central government primarily hinges on IMCT assessments. These teams evaluate the damage in disaster-affected states, and their findings inform how funds from the NDRF and SDRF are distributed.
The MHA specifies that their assessment criteria include factors such as fatalities, infrastructure damage, and economic losses.
More than ₹14,958 crore have been disbursed to 21 states in 2024, comprising ₹9,044.80 crore from SDRF, ₹4,528.66 crore from NDRF, and ₹1,385.45 crore from the SDMF.
IMCTs have been deployed to various states to carry out spot assessments of the damages. These assessments will form the basis for additional financial assistance from the NDRF. Southern states, including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Telangana, were among those visited by IMCTs to evaluate the extent of the destruction caused by the monsoon.
(Inputs from Dileep V Kumar, Sumit Jha, and Ananya Rao)
