Central Government approves ₹1280 crore to Bihar, Himachal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry as disaster assistance

Flooded Pandiyan Nagar area following heavy rainfall in the aftermath of Cyclone Fengal, in Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu on December. 2, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

A high level committee, headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has approved ₹1280.35 crore of additional central assistance to Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, affected by flood, flash flood, cloudburst, landslides and cyclonic storm in 2024.

Out of the total amount of ₹1280.35 crore, ₹588.73 crore has been approved for Bihar, ₹136.22 crore for Himachal Pradesh, ₹522.34 crore for Tamil Nadu and ₹33.06 crore for Puducherry, an official statement said.

This assistance is over and above the funds released by the Centre to the states in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the Union Territorial Disaster Response Fund (UTDRF), already placed at the disposal of the States and the Union Territories.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India is standing shoulder to shoulder with the states of Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory (UT) of Puducherry, who faced natural disasters last year, the statement said.

Also read: Cyclone-triggered rains leave several areas inundated in Puducherry 

The committee approved assistance of ₹1247.29 crore to the three states — Bihar, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu — from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), subject to an adjustment of 50% of the opening balance for the year available in the SDRF and ₹33.06 crore to Puducherry.

During FY2024-25, the central government released ₹20,264.40 crore to 28 states under the SDRF and ₹5,160.76 crore under the NDRF to 19 states.

Additionally, ₹4984.25 crore from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 19 states and ₹719.72 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to eight states has also been released.

The central government had deputed Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) to these states immediately after the calamities without waiting for the receipt of a formal memorandum, the statement said.