Rs 500 Crore Released To Odisha For Cyclone ‘Yaas’: Union Minister

Bhubaneswar: The Central government has released Rs 500 crore assistance to Odisha from NDRF for natural disasters in 2021-22 financial year.

This was stated by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

“The primary responsibility for disaster management, including undertaking disbursal of relief to affected people at ground level, rests with the state governments concerned. The state governments undertake relief measures in the wake of natural disasters including cyclone and floods from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), already placed at their disposal, in accordance with the Centre’s approved items and norms,” he said.

However, additional financial assistance is provided from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) in case of disaster of ‘severe nature’, which includes an assessment based on the visit of an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT).

The Centre has released Rs 500 crore to Odisha from NDRF for cyclone ‘Yaas’ during financial year 2021-22 after adjustment of 50% of the opening balance of SDRF, he added.