Assam's proposal for increase in SDRF rate rejected

Centre has rejected Assam government's proposal to enhance financial assistance under State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for flood-affected people in the state.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had written a letter to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on September 14 last year seeking enhancement of financial assistance under SDRF for flood-affected families as the current rates of financial assistance was very low.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju in a recent letter had stated that the norms for assistance to the housing sector under SDRF had been already enhanced and this rate would prevail, an official release said here today.

Gogoi had highlighted the fact that people of flood affected villages in the state mostly have kutcha houses which are easily damaged and financial assistance provided under SDRF was essential for reconstruction of these houses.
The costs of these materials have been increasing and the financial assistance fixed by Ministry of Home Affairs for damaged kutcha houses was inadequate, he said.
Gogoi had proposed enhancement of financial assistance under SDRF to the affected families at Rs 35,000 per house for fully damaged kutcha houses; Rs 20,000 per house for severely damaged pucca houses; Rs 10,000 per house for severely damaged kutcha houses and Rs 5,000 for partially damaged pucca/kutcha houses.

The Union Ministry, however, declined Gogoi's proposal for increasing financial assistance under SDRF and has stuck to old rates of financial assistance, the release added.