Centre releases ₹944 crore to Tamil Nadu for Cyclone Fengal reduction

Chief Minister M.Okay. Stalin with members of the inter-ministerial central group that has been tasked with assessing cyclone harm in Tamil Nadu.
| Picture Credit score: Particular Association

The Ministry of House Affairs has authorised the discharge of ₹944.80 crore to Tamil Nadu from the State Catastrophe Response Fund (SDRF) for offering reduction to the individuals affected by Cyclone Fengal, at the same time as Chief Minister M.Okay. Stalin sought ₹6,675 crore in direction of reduction and restoration within the affected districts.

An inter-ministerial central group (IMCT) was despatched to Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry for assessing the harm, the Ministry stated. “After the evaluation stories are acquired, further help from NDRF [the National Disaster Response Fund] shall be authorised,” it stated.

Mr. Stalin handed over a memorandum to the group, which arrived in Chennai on Friday night. The group will survey Villupuram, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, Tiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri, and Krishnagiri districts from Saturday.

The group, led by Rajesh Gupta, Joint Secretary, Ministry of House Affairs, met Mr. Stalin on the Secretariat, the place a presentation was made. The group had a gathering with senior officers of the State authorities and mentioned the websites to be inspected.

About 14 districts had been affected by the cyclone final month. The Chief Minister had earlier requested ₹2,000 crore in interim reduction.

Okay. Ponnusamy (Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare); Sonamani Haobam (Union Ministry of Finance); R. Saravanan (Union Ministry of Jal Shakti); Dhanapalan Kumaran (Union Ministry of Highway Transport); Rahul Bachkheti (Union Ministry of Energy); and Balajee Okay.M. (Union Ministry of Rural Growth) are the opposite members of the group.

Earlier within the day, DMK member Tiruchi Siva raised the difficulty throughout Zero Hour within the Rajya Sabha, saying the State had demanded ₹2,000 crore in interim reduction. He stated the cyclone had ravaged 14 districts, instantly affecting 1.5 crore individuals, displacing 69 lakh households and inflicting the lack of 40 lives, moreover 3,000 head of cattle and a couple of.50 lakh poultry.

“Heavy rainfall, exceeding 50 centimetres in in the future, has submerged the districts of Villupuram, Cuddalore, Tiruvannamalai, and Kallakurichi. There was additionally harm in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Vellore, Ranipet, and Krishnagiri. The preliminary evaluation reveals that we’d like ₹2,475 crore, however the State authorities has demanded ₹2,000 crore in speedy reduction from the Union authorities. We’re apprehensive, going by the previous inadequacies in catastrophe reduction,” he stated.

The SDRF is the principle fund accessible with the State governments for his or her response to notified disasters. The Centre contributes 75% of the SDRF allocation for the overall class States and Union Territories, and 90% for the particular class States/Union Territories (Northeastern States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir).

In line with Part 46 of the Catastrophe Administration Act, 2005, the “NDRF dietary supplements the State Catastrophe Response Fund (SDRF) in case of a catastrophe of extreme nature, offered satisfactory funds will not be accessible within the SDRF”. The States must submit utilisation certificates, pending which no additional allocation is made.