THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has strongly refuted Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's claim that Kerala failed to avail Rs 311.95 crore under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund, asserting that all related proposals have been duly submitted and are currently under various stages of appraisal with central agencies.
KSDMA member secretary Shekar Lukose Kuriakose told TNIE that Kerala has consistently leveraged every available opportunity to mobilise resources for strengthening disaster resilience.
"The State has been proactive in adopting innovative financing mechanisms, including instruments such as Masala Bonds, to support a 'build back better' approach. All existing procedures for accessing funds under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) are being diligently followed, in line with the guidelines issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)," said Shekar Lukose Kuriakose.
In response to the Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, he said that KSDMA is not aware of any specific requirement mandating separate submissions to the Ministry of Finance for accessing funds under the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF).
"The state would have promptly complied if such a procedure existed. KSDMA functions under the guidance of its parent bodies - the MHA and NDMA - and continues to act in accordance with their directions," he said.
According to KSDMA, Rs 203.6 crore Thiruvananthapuram Urban Flood Mitigation Programme, submitted in 2025 is being reviewed by the Technical Advisory Committee.
Regarding landslide mitigation, the KSDMA said a Rs 72-crore proposal covering Wayanad, Idukki and Pathanamthitta was submitted in December 2025. Following a review meeting in February 2026 and queries raised by NDMA in early March, the State submitted revised responses on March 21.
On the Rs 17.73 crore Forest Fire Mitigation Project, KSDMA said the proposal has progressed to scrutiny by a sub-committee of the National Executive Committee. "A meeting was held in February 2026 and was attended by senior officials of the forest department and the project has already secured approval at the state executive committee level. Regarding the flood mitigation project, queries raised during a technical advisory committee review in September were addressed in December, and the proposal is expected to be taken up again in the committee's upcoming meeting this week," said an official.