Assam floods: Centre released Rs 99-crore NDRF in eight years

Dispur needs more central attention to make flood-free Assam a reality

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Centre pumped in only Rs 99.37-crore NDRF (National Disaster Response Fund) to Assam in the past eight years since 2012-13 for restoring infrastructure damaged in floods.

Flood is a perennial problem in Assam. It causes massive infrastructure damage every year. For the restoration of the damaged infrastructure, the Centre pumps in funds under NDRF. And the funds that come to the state under NDRF are additional amounts. Under SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund) also the State Government gets central funds under general allocation. Such funds have a ten per cent state share. However, the funds that come to the state under NDRF are hundred per cent central shares.

According to Revenue and Disaster (R&DM) Department sources, in fiscal 2012-13, the Centre released Rs 45-crore NDRF to the state, and Rs 44.37 crore in 2020-21, i.e. Rs 99.37 crore in long eight years.

In the 2020 flood, Dispur sought Rs 2642.99 crore central fund but received only Rs 44.37 crore under NDRF. Dispur wrote to the Centre, "With limited resources at the disposal of the State government, it is unable to meet the huge expenditure for recovery, reconstruction and restoration of damaged infrastructure".

Recently, a central team assessed the flood damage in the state. The State Government sought Rs 1088.19 crore from the Centre. It wrote to the Centre, "Help the state, recover it from the immense damage caused by floods in 2020-21". The Centre needs more attention to the flood-ravaged state as Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has his eyes on a flood-free Assam in five years.

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