The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has given its nod for the release of ₹338 crore to Gujarat and ₹633 crore to Himachal Pradesh as financial assistance for damages caused by natural calamities. Gujarat, affected by Cyclone Biparjoy, received swift and proactive support from both the Centre and the state, resulting in a zero-casualty rate during the calamity.
Following the impact of the severe cyclone, the MHA promptly dispatched the inter-ministerial central team to assess damages without waiting for a memorandum from the state government. “The MHA has approved the financial assistance of ₹338.24 crore to Gujarat today,” stated the home minister's office.
The Centre had earlier released the first installment of its share, amounting to ₹584 crore, to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
The MHA also sanctioned an extra financial assistance of ₹633.73 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for Himachal Pradesh. The hill state faced severe challenges due to floods, cloudbursts, and landslides during this year's southwest monsoon.
Adhering to Prime Minister Modi's directive for prompt relief, an inter-ministerial central team was deployed to assess damages without waiting for the state government's memorandum. An advance amount of ₹200 crore was released from the National Disaster Response Fund on August 21 to facilitate immediate relief operations.
The Centre had previously disbursed both installments of its share to the State Disaster Response Force, totaling ₹360.80 crore, as confirmed by the home minister's office.
(Inputs from ANI)
