Centre yet to release relief fund for Assam floods: Gogoi

Guwahati: The Assam Government on Thursday said that the Central funds of Rs 207 crore released to the State Government by the Centre this year, is merely the first instalment of the current year’s central allocation of Rs 414 crore available under State Disaster Response Funds.

“After the first instalment of SDRF released in May 2015, no funds either under SDRF or under the Special package, have been released to the State Government to mitigate the impact of severe floods in Assam during the current financial year till now,” Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.

On Wednesday, the Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs, Sarbananda Sonowal said that the Centre had released Rs 207 crore for flood relief to Assam this year.

The State Disaster Respond Fund is a fund constituted in 2005 under Section 48(1) (a) of Disaster Management Act wherein the Central Government is required to provide funds in two instalments to every State as per recommendation of Finance Commission for dealing with various natural calamities, irrespective of whether such calamities occurs during the year or not.

Criticised to Sarbananda Sonowal, the Assam CM said that, accordingly, 14th Finance Commission has recommended an award of Rs. 414 crore for Assam for the year 2015-16 as Central Share.

“This funds under SDRF has not only been released to Assam but also, by to all 26 States. Rs 207 crore received by Assam in May this year is merely the first instalment of the central share of SDRF receivable by the State along with all other states in normal course. This amount is entitlement of the State as per provision of the Act and is not any additional special assistance from the Central Government,” Gogoi said.

In addition to SDRF, the Disaster Management Act has provided for giving special central assistance to any State through a separate funds called ‘National Disaster Response Funds’ to deal with situation arising from various natural calamities.

“The Central Government has not sanctioned any special funds under NDRF to flood hit Assam for the current year’s floods. In fact, the State is yet to receive the special Central assistance under National Disaster Response Funds for the devastating floods that occurred in Assam during last year. In may be mentioned that during 2014, State had submitted a Memorandum to the Central Government for providing special central assistance to the tune of Rs 2485.13 Crore for taking up repair and restoration works of damaged infrastructures caused by floods that year. The Government of India though had sanctioned Rs. 387.20 crore under National Disaster Response Funds against the aforementioned demand of the State Government , unfortunately, even the said sanctioned funds has not also been released so far,” the Assam CM said.

“On the other hand, State undertakes flood management works in critical flood prone areas through the “Flood Management Programme” (FMP). Though the State Government has already released the required State share for schemes to be taken up against the Flood Management Programme (FMP) under XIth plan, but the central share of Rs. 257 crore is yet to be released. Similarly, the central share Rs. 1016 crore for the FMP schemes under XIIth plan, has also not been released till date. In view of this, State Government fervently requested the Central Government to release 387.20 crore under NDRF sanctioned during the last Financial Year and also the central share for the FMP schemes at the earliest to help the state in its relief, rehabilitation and restoration efforts. Besides, Central Government is also requested to release another Rs 500 crore to the State as interim relief for flood hit Assam in this year,” Gogoi said.

Assam CM has also criticised the role of Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on various issues concerning the state.

Gogoi opined that Sonowal did not pressurise the Union Government for continuation of Special Category Status to the NE States.

On July 11 last, Gogoi in a meeting of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh with the chief ministers of NE States deliberated at length on the necessity of Special Category Status to the North East States. Union DoNER Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Sarbananda Sonowal were also present at the meeting.

“However, Sonowal took a mute stand in this regard at the meeting,” Gogoi said.

Tarun Gogoi also stated that in the present context of flood-hit Assam, Sonowal should pressurise the Centre to release the due fund to the State Government to meet the emergent situation.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)