CM urges Modi for more disaster relief funds to state

 Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said he has urged the prime minister to rectify the mistake in 14th Finance Commission report on recommending lower amount to Karnataka under the state disaster relief fund (SDRF).

The commission has recommended around Rs 1,500 crore-odd for the state for five years, which is second to Rajasthan in terms of large patch of dry land areas and rain-fed areas, he said.

 “We have presented our case properly at the meeting of the 14th Finance Commission. It is in the hands of the Central government to rectify it. The amount should be at least Rs 6,000 crore for Karnataka,” Siddaramaiah asserted.

Wondering how the commission can ignore Karnataka which has been facing severe drought for the past several years, Siddaramaiah said even smaller states like Haryana have received more allocation than Karnataka.

 Disaster relief is the primary responsibility of state governments, but the funds for the relief come from two sources - National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) and the State Disaster Relief Fund.

 The NDRF is given entirely by the central government, while the SDRF is made up of 75% contribution from the Centre and the rest from the state. The commission recommends the annual size of each state's fund and also suggests the mechanism by which the Centre releases the relief amount.