Gogoi refutes Sonowal's claim of state not using central funds

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today refuted Union Minister of State (Independent) Sarbananda Sonowal's claim that the state government has failed to utilise Central funds for disaster relief.
"The state government has utilised the central allocation for disaster relief in the last fiscal, but the Centre is yet to release its share this year," he said in a statement here.
The state government conveyed to Sonowal in a letter sent today, that of the total Rs 183.38 crore Central funds available for the SDRF, Rs 162.65 crore has been already been sanctioned for repairing damages and flood relief, it said.

There would be no unspent balance available in the SDRF after meeting the huge quantum of liabilities created on account of relief and rescue operations during the recent devastating floods, the statement said.
The state government also brought to the notice of the Union Minister that till date no fund has been received from the Centre for SDRF for 2014-15.
Sonowal, who was sent along with Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the flood situation in Assam and Meghalaya, had alleged that Rs 344 crore provided by the Centre earlier was lying unutilised in the State Disaster Relief Fund.