Kerala did not avail ₹311 cr national disaster mitigation fund: Sitharaman

Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday told the Lok Sabha that approval for central grants is one thing and applying for the amount by the states is another thing as she mentioned that Kerala did not avail ₹311.95 crore as part of national disaster mitigation fund.

The minister was responding to supplementaries during the Question Hour on the arrears of grants and amounts pending from the central government towards Kerala.

Sitharaman, who is in charge of the finance and corporate affairs ministries, said a state has to provide the utilisation certificate so that the next round of funds can be released.

 

For instance, she said there was a specific case related to Kerala where despite the allocation, the Kerala government has not even drawn the amount.

An amount of ₹311.95 for the National Disaster Mitigation Fund that includes ₹72 crore for risk mitigation project in the landslide-affected territories of Wayanad.

Another ₹17.73 crore was approved for forest fire mitigation programme, which is not related to the Wayanad disaster, and ₹222.22 crore was approved under the second phase of the urban flood risk management programme for Thiruvananthapuram city, she said.

"For the ₹311.95 crore that has been approved, zero is the amount released. I will release only when the state applies for it, asks for it, quotes something for it. So approving is one thing, applying and seeking is another thing," Sitharaman said.

The Centre and the Kerala government have issues with respect to the financial aid given for the Wayanad disaster management. Kerala is set for Assembly polls next month.

Meanwhile, the House also paid tributes to Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru, and Sukhdev who were hanged to death by the British on March 23, 1931.

As a mark of respect for the departed souls, the Speaker and the members also stood in silence for a brief while.