The Hindu : National : Rs. 30.5 crore aid for Bihar relief

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 17, 2004

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National

Rs. 30.5 crore aid for Bihar relief

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 16. The "grim'' flood situation in Bihar has made the Centre side-step a bureaucratic imperative to release Rs. 30.525 crore from the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) to help the State carry out relief operations in the 18 flood-affected districts.

Though Bihar had been allocated Rs. 81.80 crore in CRF for the current fiscal, the first instalment of the Central share had not been released by the Finance Ministry as the State Government had not furnished the utilisation report for 2003-04.

This was disclosed in the Lok Sabha today by the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, in a statement on the floods in Bihar.

"Keeping in view the fact that funds will be required by the State Government to carry out rescue and relief operations in flood-affected areas, the Ministry of Finance was advised to release the pending first instalment of CRF of Central share for 2004-05 amounting to Rs. 30.525 crores.

The amount was released on July 12.''

Together with the State share of Rs. 10.175 crore, Rs. 40.70 crore will, according to the Home Minister, be available to the State Government for carrying out relief operations.

This apart, an inter-ministerial central team is being constituted for making a detailed assessment of the flood situation in Bihar and it would visit the affected areas immediately after the flood water has "receded to an extent''.

On the basis of reports received from the State Government, the Home Minister told the House that the flood situation in Bihar "continues to be grim'' with three rivers - Bagmati, Budhigandak and Kosi - having crossed the danger level. Thirty-two persons have lost their lives in the floods which have affected a population of 94 lakh across 18 districts.

In his statement, the Minister also detailed the assistance requested from the Central Government and the action taken.

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