JOIN USFlood-hit Assam seeks advance fund from Centre to reconstruct damaged houses
The Assam government has urged Home Minister Amit Shah to release advance funds under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to assist people reconstruct houses, which were damaged in this year's devastating floods.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met Shah in New Delhi on Friday evening and requested for the advance fund.
"Assessment of the damages caused by flood is underway and it may take some time. Since the Central team has termed this year's floods as severe, I have requested the Home Minister to release some advance funds under the NDRF so that we can provide immediate assistance to people to help them re-construct their houses damaged in flood. Flood water has receded in most places but many people don't have a place to stay as their houses have been damaged in the flood," Sarma told reporters in New Delhi after his meeting with Shah.
Sarma said floods this year in Assam have damaged 30,000 to 40,000 houses, fully or partially.
Floods and landslides since May this year have claimed 190 lives and affected nearly 80 lakh people (out of three crore population) across the state. Nearly 19,000 houses have been fully damaged and more than 1.20 lakh others have been partially damaged.
Sarma said the Union Home Minister has assured that his Ministry would actively consider his request for advance funds from the NDRF as an immediate assistance.
When asked about the demand by Opposition parties for a special package from the Centre, Sarma said the state government would give an actual picture of the extent of damages caused by the deluge so that it gets the exact funds instead of asking for packages. "The target of the government will be to make full utilisation of the SDRF funds, so that the state gets NDRF as well as additional funds," he said adding that the Centre had released Rs.324.40 crore as the state share of SDRF for the year 2022-23 as immediate assistance to the state to combat the current floods.