A high-level committee chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved ₹2,006.40 crore as Central Assistance to Himachal Pradesh to aid recovery and reconstruction following the devastating floods, landslides, and cloudbursts that struck the state in 2023.
The committee, which includes Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Suman Bery, cleared the proposal for financial aid to the state from the recovery and reconstruction funding window of the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
The central financial assistance will support the state in undertaking recovery and reconstruction efforts required due to the damage and destruction caused during the 2023 monsoon.
Out of the total sanctioned amount, ₹1,504.80 crore will come from the Centre's share from the Recovery and Reconstruction Funding Window under the NDRF. This assistance is in addition to the ₹633.73 crore earlier sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs in December 2023, also from the NDRF.
Uttarakhand, Sikkim also get central funds for disaster relief
The Centre has also cleared recovery packages for other disaster-hit states, including ₹1,658.17 crore for Uttarakhand following the Joshimath subsidence, and ₹555.27 crore for Sikkim in the aftermath of the 2023 Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF).
In parallel, the Central government has approved a series of mitigation projects with a combined financial outlay of ₹7,253.51 crore to address risks from urban floods (₹3,075.65 crore), landslides (₹1,000 crore), GLOFs (₹150 crore), forest fires (₹818.92 crore), lightning (₹186.78 crore), and drought (₹2,022.16 crore).
This additional assistance is over and above the funds released by the Centre to the states in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), already placed at the disposal of the states.
During the financial year 2024-25, the Central government has released Rs 20,264.40 crore to 28 states under SDRF and Rs 5,160.76 crore under NDRF to 19 states. Additionally, Rs 4,984.25 crore from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 19 states and Rs 719.72 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to states have also been released, the statement said.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India is standing shoulder to shoulder with the state governments during natural calamities and disasters. To fulfil Prime Minister Modi's vision of a disaster-resilient India, the Ministry of Home Affairs, under the guidance of Home Minister Amit Shah, has taken several initiatives to ensure effective management of disasters in the country. A number of steps have been taken to prevent any extensive loss to life and property during disasters by strengthening the disaster risk reduction system in India,” the statement added.
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