Centre to revise relief fund norms

The Union Government will soon revise norms for providing relief to states for coping with natural calamities.

The Union Government will soon revise norms for providing relief to states for coping with natural calamities. Once the 13th Finance Commission report comes,we will revise the Calamity Relief Fund norms, Home Minister P Chidambaram told the Lok Sabha while wrapping up the debate on natural calamities initiated by JD(U)s Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lallan and BJPs Anant Kumar Hegde. He also assured that the Centre would not discriminate among states while doling out relief funds.

The Centre,he said,wanted the states to focus on rehabilitation and reconstruction. Dont worry about money,please go and do the work on the ground,we will find the money, he told the members in response to demands for more funds for their states.

In an apparent reference to the allegations levelled against the Centre by several members for not adequately helping Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka,the Home Minister said he had assured the chief ministers that they would get money. He said he had told both the Chief Ministers to go and spend money; it would be reimbursed.

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While pointing out that the Centre had stepped in with helicopters,life jackets,boats and other material,there had been complaint against the Centre over rescue operations. He said international institutions were prepared to provide funds because of the resilience which the Indian economy had shown by registering a 7.09 per cent growth.

The Home Minister said climate change was perhaps the reason why the country had been hit by drought and floods. He said after receiving a memorandum from Karnataka on drought,the Centre was faced with reports that the state had been hit by floods.

Lallan called for efforts to pursue the NDA regimes proposal for inter-linking of rivers. While complaining of a step-motherly treatment of Bihar by the Centre,he sought a relief package of Rs 14,800 crore for people hit by the Kosi floods. The discussion witnessed a wrangling between former Karnataka CM H D Deve Gowda and BJPs Anant Kumar.

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