Punjab Minister Bains blames Centre for SDRF-NDRF disaster fund caps

Punjab's Minister for Education and Public Relations Harjot Singh Bains has blamed the Union Government for limiting the state's powers to utilise funds from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) amid recent natural calamities in the state.

Bains made the remarks after visiting Bhabhor village on Thursday evening, where 80 houses are facing disaster and threat of sliding into Nangal Dam Lake due to landslides triggered by recent monsoon rains.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has issued guidelines for the use of SDRF and NDRF for the period 2022-23 to 2025-26, placing stricter caps on how states can spend the funds for notified natural disasters. According to the new norms, states cannot spend more than 30 per cent of their annual SDRF allocation on specific relief measures such as temporary accommodation, food, clothing and other immediate response items. Bains said this has tied the hands of the state government in spending the SDRF and NDRF funds meant for protecting villages like Bhabhor and Bara Pind in Ropar district, where 180 houses are facing collapse threat due to landslide.

Speaking about the situation to The Tribune, Bains said no government department was taking responsibility for saving the endangered houses in Bhabhor and Bara Pind villages.

"The funds of SDRF and NDRF cannot be used as the Union Government has capped states' power to use them to 30 per cent in such calamities. Still, I have formed a committee of officials of the PWD rural development department to propose how to save the endangered houses in both the villages," he said.

Meanwhile, state vice president of BJP Subhash Sharma also visited Bhabhor village on Thursday afternoon. Expressing concern over the state of endangered houses, Sharma said he has requested the Director of IIT Ropar to conduct a study to propose a proper solution to the landsliding problem in Bhabhor village. "Once the study is received, I shall approach the Union Government and BBMB also to help save the houses from landslide. The state government should also immediately start the work for erecting a retaining wall along the Nangal Dam lake to save the houses of villagers and the historic Bhabhor Sahib Gurdwara," Sharma said.