Centre allocates Rs 276 crore to Tamil Nadu, Rs 221 crore to Sikkim; Kerala left out of NDRF

NEW DELHI: This time, the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF), which is to be provided by the inter-ministerial committee in the event of severe natural calamities, has been given to only five states. NDRF has been allocated only to flood-hit Himachal Pradesh (66.924 crore), Sikkim (221.122 crore), Tamil Nadu (276.10 crore), Tripura (25 crore) and drought-hit Karnataka (3454.22 crore). Apart from this, 1.833 crore has been allocated to Arunachal Pradesh and 8.35 crore to Sikkim as National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF).

Even though the central government is aware of the distress in the Chooralmala-Mundakkai landslide area in Wayanad, the NDRF has not sanctioned it yet. Till now only State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) and State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMFA) have been sanctioned to Kerala and other states as per the recommendation of the Finance Commission. How much this amount has to be paid till 2026 has been fixed earlier.

In the reply given by the Minister of State for Home Nithyanandarai to the representative of the Kerala government, K V Thomas, it is said that the Centre can allocate additional NDRF in case of extreme natural calamity. The minister also clarified that it is enough for the central ministerial committee to visit the place and make a recommendation. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ministerial committee reached Wayanad but the reason for not releasing the funds has not been clarified.