‘Centre withholds money for flood rehabilitation’

With the Central government withholding funds to the state, the rehabilitation of flood-affected families has been badly hit.
According to sources, even as the inter-ministerial team headed by a senior official in the Ministry of Home Affairs carried out assessment of the flood-hit areas earlier, the Central government has not released the money for the victims under the disaster relief fund norms.
Under the disaster relief fund norms the state government worked out the loss to private and public property, crops and cattle at near about Rs 3,000 crore. However even as the state has released the Rs 1,000 crore to the flood-affected families from its own resources, the Central government has not released the nearly Rs 2000 crore affecting the relief work badly.
The Deputy Commissioners of different districts have raised the matter with the state government over the shortage of funds, officials said.
According to officials, with the Central government stopping the funds to the state, the state was unable to meet the estimated losses that have been worked out under the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) norms. Under the norms the fully, severely and partially damaged houses are being released a paltry Rs 73,000 to as low as Rs 6,000.
However, officials said the entire loss that was earlier reflected in the assessment carried out by the state government couldn’t be met as the Central government has not released the money under the disaster relief fund norms to the affected families.
Officials said the state has released the money to the affected families from its own resources and has even deposited money as advance rent in the accounts of families whose houses have been damaged.
However, a top government official said the state is facing shortage of money to release the pending relief amount to the flood-affected families.
Srinagar was one of the worst hit districts with massive damage caused to the private and public property in the posh residential areas of Rajbagh, Sonwar and Hyderpora.
Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Shah said the state government is treating the release of relief to the flood-affected families as a priority.
“Even there are directions that the bills on account of the relief that is due to the families shouldn’t be kept pending. “However, we are waiting for the flood-relief package to be approved by the Central government so that the affected families don’t suffer,” he said.