Started in July 2020, NDRF got just Rs 63,000 as donations: RTI

The Government allowed individuals and institutions to donate money to the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) last July but it has received only Rs 63,014 till February, according to an RTI response.

The Ministry of Home Affairs informed transparency activist Commodore Lokesh Batra (retired) that between 13 July, 2020 and 26 February, 2021, there were only 14 donations from individuals ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 25,000 to the NDRF.

The low level of public engagement highlights the provisions have not reached the public and the need for the government to publicise it like the way it did on the PM-CARES fund last March.

Batra had send a series of letters to the MHA, Ministry of Finance and National Disaster Management Authority in April-May last year demanding that individuals and institutions be allowed to make donations to the NDRF, prompting Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla to approach the Ministry of Finance to stipulate a mechanism for such donations.

The Department of Expenditure on June 19 last year gave clearance for contributions and grants by individuals and institutions in NDRF as per Section 46(1)(b) of Disaster Management Act, 2005. The June 19 order had allowed the State Disaster Response Fund also to collect the donations but five days later, that provision was withdrawn.

Though the MHA had set up the NDRF in September 2010 under Disaster Management Act, 2005 to collect donations, the successive governments had not made a mechanism for this.

After clearance from the Ministry of Finance, the NDMA on July 10 last year announced the modalities for contribution and the first donation was made on July 13 by Batra.

Batra believes that there is a need for publicity for making people aware of the provision of contribution to the NDRF and has shot off an open letter to the Home Secretary.

"It has been 10 months since the ‘contribution by Individuals and Institutions’ to NDRF, had become reality...India, at the moment, is in a state of ‘National Health Emergency’ due to wide spread of Covid-19 requiring huge resources and additional funding...The outcome was very disappointing. During the period 13 July 2020 to 26 February 2021, the total amount contributed to the NDRF was only Rs.63,014," he said in the letter.

He said there is a need to "aggressively publicise" the need for contribution by individuals and institutions to NDRF in order to mobilize maximum contribution from India and abroad.

Batra has also demanded that there should be Income Tax exemption for contributors and FCRA exemption for contributions from abroad.