BENGALURU: The Centre on Monday approved additional assistance to seven states battered by floods and Karnataka is to get the lion’s share. But the allocation falls awfully short of the estimated loss in the state. Out of the total Rs 5,908 crore approved by a high-level committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah for seven states, Karnataka got the highest allocation of Rs 1,869.85 crore.
The funds, however, come as a slight relief for the cash-strapped state government. Officials from the state revenue department’s disaster management cell who have been overlooking relief and rehabilitation work have been anticipating more help from the Centre since October. In its initial assessment, the State had pegged damage at Rs 38,000 crore but after Centre’s instructions to exclude damage to private buildings from the estimate, total losses were reduced to about Rs 35,000 crore.
Monday’s assistance under National Disaster Relief Fund has been released for relief and rehabilitation works in states affected by floods, landslides and cloudburst during south-west monsoon 2019. Madhya Pradesh that witnessed flooding due to heavy rains — much like Karnataka and Maharashtra — received the second-highest allocation of Rs 1,749.73 crore.