MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN)
(a) to (e): No Madam. As per the guidelines on administration of National
Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), the relief assistance from NDRF to the affected
individuals including farmers is considered on the basis of memorandum submitted
by the State Governments for the sector-wise damages caused due to natural
calamities to the Central Government. Based on the memorandum an Inter
Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) is deputed for making on the spot assessment of
the damages in the affected areas. Thereafter report of the IMCT is processed
for approval of the High Level Committee.
The financial assistance from NDRF is towards relief & not for compensation of loss.
The main objective of the relief fund is to assist the affected persons to start
their economic activities again and the relief is by way of gratuitous assistance
as an immediate help to overcome the stress.
The expenditure from relief fund is to be incurred in accordance with the items
and norms of assistance approved by the Government of India for the notified natural
calamities only. As per the revised item & norms of assistance from SDRF and NDRF,
which have been circulated on 16th January 2012 and further modified on 28th September
2012, the extant norms inter-alia provide for assistance to the farmers in the form of
Agriculture input subsidy for damage caused to crops due to the notified natural
calamities only. Further there is no proposal to revise the methods of assessment
at present. Details of assistance admissible to Farmers in various sectors for the
damage caused due to natural calamities as per extant items & a norm is at Annexure.
