Calamities bring out the worst in Centre-state ties

When it come to calamities and natural disaster relief efforts, there exists a tremendous trust deficit between the union and state governments

As almost 40% of the country reels under the impact of a crippling drought, which in many places has meant a second straight year of below normal monsoon, a war of words has broken out between the Centre and state governments over delays in providing relief and the procedure for doing so.
 
The Union Ministry of Agriculture has gone on record urging states to expedite the process of sending official data highlighting the extent of damage and the quantum of relief sought.
 
It alleges that because of this delay, farmers are suffering as not only the monsoon were bad, but there have virtually been no showers since middle of August in many parts, leaving the soil bone dry.

 

The states, on their part, feel that there is little point in sending memoranda early as funds won’t be released on time. In fact, in many cases, states said that relief sought for crop damage last year has been received only a few months back.
 
The hailstorm and rains had impacted standing rabi crops in many northern Indian states in February and March 2015.
 
In fact, as a senior former bureaucrat said, the worst in Centre-state relations come to the fore during natural calamities and disasters. Claims and counter-claims fly thick and fast and both sides show an acute trust-deficit.

 
States, the officer explained, usually overestimate the extent of loss as they very well know that they would get just a fraction of the amount which has been sought.
 
So, in most cases, a state gives a damage estimate which is almost 10 times the actual, which normally makes the Centre jittery, this official explained.
 
The states, for their part, feel that Centre gives step-motherly treatment to those states which are not governed by the ruling party.
 
The problem arises as there is no scientific method of assessment of loss both at the Central level and also the state level.

 
Infact, in most cases, the states rely on the assessment made by block level officers mostly through naked eye.
 
It has happened that officers gave a hugely big estimate of crop loss due to floods, but had to drastically lower it once the flood waters receded because the extent of damage was a small portion of the assessment.
 
Similarly, during droughts too, the same mistake happens, which creates doubt in the mind of Central officials.
 
A classic case in point is the damage assessment done by some states during the unseasonal rains and hailstorm which hit the rabi crop last season.

 
In a span of just two days, the Centre lowered the damage estimates from 18 million to 10 million hectares, following inputs from the state governments, mainly Uttar Pradesh. 
 
The difference between the preliminary damage estimate in Uttar Pradesh and the revised estimate was a whopping 18 per cent.
 
In the first estimate, Uttar Pradesh reported a damage in around 9.72 million hectares, which was lowered to 2.67 million hectares in just two days. The estimated damage to wheat crop was also lowered by half from over 12 million hectares. So what makes damage estimated wary so widely in such short span of time.

 
A rudimentary system of damage assessment not based on modern scientific tools like drones, satellite imagery etc is to be blamed for this discrepancy.
 
In fact, there is a very famous instance of Haryana, which few years back had declared that the entire state has been hit by drought and sought compensation from the Centre.
 
It did not notify the areas hit by drought even more than a month after declaring drought, but went on to blame the Centre for not helping it in the times of crisis.
 
A hapless Central government just looked on because without proper notification no part of the country can be declared calamity hit. Officials said it has so happened that from the time of declaration of drought and notifying it, the state was hit by sudden burst of showers, forcing the state government to step back and reassess the damages.