CHENNAI: Last three years have been pretty difficult for the State with drought, rains and cyclone putting it at the receiving end. However, there is some light at the end of the tunnel with the Centre actively considering relaxation of the rules governing ‘approved items’ and ‘norms of assistance’ for expanding the areas for funds.
A 24-member committee headed by Sanjeev Kumar Jindal, Joint Secretary (Disaster Management), Ministry of Home Affairs, was recently constituted to look into the existing norms and suggest modification to expand peripheries of funding for relief measures.
Relief Commissioners from 13 States, including K Satyagopal, Commissioner for Revenue Administration (CRA) and Relief Commissioner, Tamil Nadu, have been nominated to the panel set up by the Centre.
“The main task of the committee is to re-examine the Natural Disaster Relief Fund norms of approved items and scale of financial assistance for relief measures for natural calamities,” Satyagopal told Express on Friday.
He noted that financial assistance from the NDRF is provided for loss of lives, damage to agricultural and horticultural crops, low-tension power network, fishing boats and nets and restoration of infrastructure facilities of temporary nature, including road and irrigation tanks.
The calamities covered under the Natural Disaster Relief Fund are cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloud burst, pest attack, cold wave and frost if assessed to be ‘severe’ in nature.
Based on the report submitted by the affected State governments and the spot assessment made by Central teams, the quantum of financial assistance is determined by the Centre after due consideration at various levels.
Jindal is familiar with the sufferings of Tamil Nadu as he had recently led two Central teams to Tamil Nadu to assess the heavy damages inflicted by Cyclone Ockhi in Kanniyakumari district and the northeast monsoon in Chennai.
The relaxation of norms would be beneficial to the State as it requires a big assistance leg-up from the Centre for relief and restoration activities in the aftermath of the cyclone.
Cyclone Vardah had inflicted heavy damage in Chennai and its surrounding districts of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur in 2016.
The power network suffered the worst. In 2015, heavy rain and floods wreaked havoc as several parts of Chennai were submerged. This apart, many districts in Tamil Nadu were badly hit by drought during 2016-17, resulting in drop in agricultural production.