Kerala to be provided with more aid: Jaitley

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday assured Kerala that the Centre would provide further relief to the flood-hit state after a proper estimate is done.

According to the minister, the Rs 600 crore which has been sanctioned till now by the Central government is only for interim relief purposes "when the crisis is maximum".

"We are now moving towards a stage of rehabilitation. What the Prime Minister has given is Rs 500 crore and the Home Minister has given Rs 100 crore... the Rs 600 crore is interim," Jaitley said at a media briefing after the meeting of the Union Cabinet.

"There is a mechanism that operates. For relief, you give immediate assistance, then the state makes a representation, the central team goes, along with the officers of the state, they will say how many houses destroyed, how many people lost there lives and on the basis of that they assess the damages."

The minister told reporters that one of the representations came from the state and a Central team has already gone for assessment.

"We have a track record of going by the settled norms, irrespective of whether it is a NDA state or non-state, there are fixed norms, calculations are made and the money is released. There is a process," Jaitley said.

In addition, the minister said that banks and insurance companies have been advised to settle all insurance claims forthwith.

--IANS

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