Delhi, 28 March (H.S.): A High-Level Committee chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has greenlit projects for disaster recovery and fire service strengthening in five states, namely Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Kerala. These recommendations for financial aid were reviewed by the committee, which includes the Finance Minister, Agriculture Minister, and the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, from the Recovery and Reconstruction and Preparedness and Capacity Building funding windows under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). Aligning with Prime Minister Modi’s vision for a disaster-resilient India, the Ministry of Home Affairs has initiated measures to bolster disaster management to mitigate loss of life and property.

The Committee approved a total of Rs. 1,604.39 crore for fire services modernization, distributing funds as follows: Bihar (Rs. 340.90 crore), Gujarat (Rs. 339.18 crore), Jharkhand (Rs. 147.97 crore), Kerala (Rs. 162.25 crore), and Maharashtra (Rs. 614.09 crore). The Central Government has allocated Rs. 5,000 crore for this initiative, already approving funding of Rs. 3,373.12 crore for 20 states.

Additionally, Rs. 555.70 crore was approved for Sikkim's disaster recovery following the Glacial Lake Outburst Floods. In the current fiscal year, the government has disbursed Rs. 19,074.80 crore to 28 states via the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and substantial amounts through other disaster mitigation funds.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar