News Tamil Nadu

Dravidianist Handle Promoted By DMK Peddles Half-Truths About Gujarat Receiving Advance Funds As Relief, TN BJP Leader SG Suryah Rebuts False Claims

December 26, 2023
The Commune

The release of funds from the Central Government to the Tamil Nadu state government in the backdrop of the devastating floods in the state has been a point of discussion for the DMK and its gang of Dravidianists to this day.

One Dravidianist named Boodham (@angry_birdu, a rabid anti-Hindu hate spewing propaganda handle promoted by DMK) made a post stating that the Centre gave an advance of ₹1000 crore rupees from the NDRF fund within three days of the storm hitting Gujarat. He asked whether people expected EPS to question the Union government as to why the same was not done for Tamil Nadu. He added in his post, “That’s not it. He bent down well and buttressed the BJP!”

Responding to this, State Secretary of Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party, SG Suryah wrote, “Without the basic knowledge that funds will be released from the NDRF only if there is no SDRF fund balance and this guy is questioning him (EPS).”

To this, the Dravidianist handle replied claiming, “On 29 April 2021, SDRF funds of 529 crores had already reached Gujarat. The cyclone hit the state on 17 May. Since the SDRF fund became empty by then, did they allocate additional funds of 1000 crores from the NDRF fund on 20 May?”

To this, Suryah replied saying, “Your problem is you’re a liar & #DMK hack. So propagating selective data is your art; but you can’t fool for long. Tamil Nadu had ₹ 813 + ₹900 Cr SDRF when this cyclone hit us. As per due procedure, NDRF will be released only after HLC recommendation ONLY in case the SDRF is less/not available. Tamil Nadu too got money from NDRF when it didn’t have money in SDRF same like how Gujarat did which you’re very against at. So START your next lie camouflaged as a உத்தமன்.”

Suryah also shared screenshots of basic information on how SDRF and NDRF fund allocation worked.

According to the National Disaster Management Policy, the primary responsibility for disaster management lies with the respective State Governments. In cases of natural disasters that are officially declared, State Governments allocate financial relief to affected individuals using the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), which is already at their disposal. This allocation follows the approved criteria and norms set by the Government of India (GOI). However, in the case of exceptionally severe disasters, additional financial aid is provided from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), following a specific procedure that includes an assessment carried out by an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT).

The allocation of funds to each State’s State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for each fiscal year during the entire Award period is determined by successive Finance Commissions, which are established under Article 280 of the Constitution. The 15th Finance Commission, in particular, has introduced a new methodology for state-wise fund allocation. This method considers various factors such as a state’s capacity (as indicated by expenditure), risk exposure (including geographical area and population), hazard, and vulnerability (as indicated by a risk index), rather than solely relying on expenditure-based criteria as in the previous approach.

A 3-tier system is in place to calculate additional financial assistance from the NDRF. Initially, an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which includes representatives from sectoral Ministries/Departments and officials from the respective State, conducts an on-site assessment. The IMCT’s findings are then reviewed by the Sub-Committee of the National Executive Committee (SC-NEC), which is chaired by the Union Home Secretary and includes representatives from various concerned Ministries.

Subsequently, the recommendations put forth by the SC-NEC are reviewed and approved by the High-Level Committee (HLC), chaired by the Honorable Union Home Minister. The HLC comprises the Union Finance Minister, Union Agriculture Minister, and Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog as its members. Once the HLC grants its approval, funds are disbursed from the NDRF.

A netizen also shared some data to enlighten further. His post indicated that since 2014, Tamil Nadu has received a cumulative disaster relief fund exceeding ₹12,000 Crores, comprising contributions from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), and State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF). Notably, post-2019-20, Uttar Pradesh has not been allocated any funds under the National Disaster Response Fund. These facts expose the inaccuracies in DMK’s claims against the central government, revealing a different narrative that challenges their assertions.

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