Centre approves Rs 1,280 cr to HP, other states as disaster aid

A high-level committee headed by Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday approved a Rs 1,280.35 crore additional Central assistance to Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to combat natural calamities.

An amount of Rs 588.73 crore was approved for Bihar, Rs 136.22 crore for Himachal Pradesh, Rs 522.34 crore for Tamil Nadu and Rs 33.06 crore for Puducherry, which were affected by natural disasters in 2024.

In 2024-25, the Centre had released Rs 20,264.40 crore to 28 states under the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) and Rs 5,160.76 crore under the NDRF to 19 states.

This additional assistance is over and above the funds released by the Centre to the states in the SDRF and Union Territorial Disaster Response Fund, already placed at the disposal of the states, official sources said.

Himachal Tribune