New Delhi: The Center has approved the advance release of the second installment of Rs 7,274.40 crore of its share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to 23 states.
A decision which has been taken by Union Home Minister Amit Shah as part of the Modi government’s initiative to facilitate the state governments to have adequate funds in their SDRF to deal with any emergency arising out of any calamity.
According to a PTI report, in a statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, an advance amount of Rs 1,599.20 crore has already been released to five states in the second installment.
Earlier in September, the Supreme Court ordered revision of compensation for Covid-19 victims, following which the central government informed the apex court that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has recommended that the next of kin of those who died be Rs 50,000. be given Rs. COVID-19.
This enabling provision has been made in the SDRF norms so that the guidelines issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on September 11 are implemented in compliance with the order passed by the Supreme Court on June 30. The top court in its June 30 order said that the Center was required to pay ex-gratia compensation for Covid-19 deaths as Covid-19 was declared a notified disaster under the 2005 Act.
The State Governments will have an amount of Rs 23,186.40 crore in their SDRF during the financial year 2021-22, which includes the State’s share, in addition to the opening balance available in their SDRF, to meet the expenditure of giving ex-gratia. For providing relief to the next of kin of the deceased due to COVID and other notified calamities, it said.
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