NEW DELHI: In a major move towards facilitating post-disaster rehabilitation, the High-Level Committee under the chairmanship of Union Home minister Amit Shah sanctioned Rs 2,006.40 crore as Central assistance to Himachal Pradesh. The financial support is meant for enabling the state’s Recovery and Reconstruction Plan in the wake of the ravaging floods, landslides, and cloudbursts during the 2023 monsoon season.
The Committee, consisting of the finance minister, agriculture minister, and NITI Aayog vice chairman, sanctioned the funding under the Recovery and Reconstruction window of the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). A total amount sanctioned of Rs 1,504.80 crore will be given as the Central share.
Earlier, on 12th December 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs had sanctioned Rs 633.73 crore in addition to Himachal Pradesh under the NDRF for meeting the relief requirements immediately after the disaster.
At the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India reaffirmed its determination to be at the side of the state governments at times of natural disasters. The Ministry of Home Affairs under Amit Shah’s guidance has undertaken numerous steps to improve the disaster risk reduction and management frameworks of the country.
The Central government has also sanctioned comparable recovery plans for other states heavily hit by natural calamities. Uttarakhand was sanctioned Rs 1658.17 crore after the Joshimath subsidence crisis, and Sikkim got Rs 555.27 crore after the 2023 Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) event.
Besides, mitigation works amounting to Rs 7,253.51 crore have been sanctioned to counteract different natural threats of the nation. These are urban floods (Rs 3,075.65 crore), landslides (Rs 1,000 crore), GLOF (Rs 150 crore), forest fires (Rs 818.92 crore), lightning (Rs 186.78 crore), and drought (Rs 2,022.16 crore).
This additional financial aid is over the normal disbursements made from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).