The Rs. 1,000-crore assistance that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced for Andhra Pradesh after Cyclone Hudhud struck the State on October 12 will be adjusted from the money available under the national and State disaster relief funds, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijuju told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) member from Andhra Pradesh, after a written reply on Central assistance to the State, said that of the Rs. 1,000 crore, Rs. 515 crore was released from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF).
“This is a pre-decided amount of the Centre from which you advance. It’s an advance, not relief. The Prime Minister has announced a relief of Rs. 1,000 crore. Has a single paisa gone from that Rs. 1,000 crore announced? Rs. 400 crore is an advance from the NDRF; Rs. 115 crore is of the SDRF. What is this Rs. 1,000-crore announcement? Nothing has gone to the State,” Mr. Yechury said.
The issue led to noisy scenes in the House after several members from the State sought to know that if that had been the case, what was the announcement all about. “Any announcement made by the Prime Minister has to be adjusted from the available fund which is already there,” Mr. Rijuju admitted, adding that 75 per cent of the SDRF funds were provided by the Centre in order to help the State respond quickly to any eventuality.
