Sufficient funds available with Telangana SDRF for relief operations: Centre

As per laid down procedure, in case of disaster of ‘severe nature’, which include an assessment based on the visit of an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT).

In wake of floods during 2024 in Telangana, an IMCT was constituted by the Central government on September 5, 2024 for on the spot assessment of damages, without waiting for the Memorandum from the State government.

Replying to a question posed by Telangana Congress MP Kunduru Raghuveer, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said that the IMCT visited the affected areas in Telangana from September 10 to 13, 2024.

Based on the report of the IMCT, the Central government approved an amount of Rs. 231.75 crore (subject to the adjustment of 50 per cent of balance available in the SDRF account) from NDRF, for the floods of 2024.

Besides, an amount of Rs. 555.20 crore (Rs. 416.80 crore Central share plus Rs.138.40 crore State share) has been allocated in SDRF to Telangana for the financial year 2024-25. The Central share of Rs.416.80 crore has already been released in advance to the State.

In addition, the Accountant General, Telangana reported a balance of Rs.1345.15 crore in its SDRF account as on April 1, 2024. Thus, sufficient funds were available in the SDRF account of the State for the relief operations, the Union Minister said.

The financial assistance provided under SDRF and NDRF is by way of relief and not for compensation for losses as suffered or claimed.

In his question, Raghuveer wanted to know whether Telangana has received less flood relief than Andhra Pradesh and whether the Central government will reassess Telangana’s flood damage and whether there was a plan to increase relief funds based on the actual losses.