MHA releases Rs 7,274 crore as second instalment of SDRF

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, October 1

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today released the second instalment of the Central share of Rs 7,274.40 crore in advance to the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) of 23 states. Five states have already got in advance the second instalment amounting to Rs 1,599.20 crore.

This fund release will help the states to meet the expenditure on giving ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 each to the next of kin of Covid victims, said a Home Ministry official.

The state governments will now have Rs 23,186.40 crore in their SDRF, including states’ share during the financial year 2021-22, in addition to the opening balance available in their SDRF to meet the ex-gratia expenses and for providing relief on other notified calamities, the official added.

A senior MHA official said the Centre had issued an order on September 25 revising items and norms of assistance under the SDRF, making a provision for giving ex-gratia to the families of Covid victims.

“The revised SDRF norms are to implement the guidelines issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on September 11 in compliance with an order passed by the Supreme Court on June 30,” said the official.

The first instalment of Rs 8,873.6 crore was released on May 1 this year in the wake of the second wave of Covid that claimed thousands of lives in April-May.