MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN)
(a) & (b): Some State Governments have sent proposals to amend the extant norms of
assistance under Calamity Relief Fund (CRF)/ National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF).
It has generally been a practice to comprehensibly review and revise the items and norms
of assistance immediately after the Award of the Finance Commission is accepted by the
Government. The last such revision was made in 27th June 2009, after the Award of the
12th Finance Commission.
Ministry of Home Affairs on 27th October 2009 has constituted an Expert Group to review
and recommend revision of the items and norms of assistance from Calamity Relief Fund
(CRF) and National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) for the period of Award of 13th Finance
Commission viz; 2010-11 to 2014-15.
(c) & (d): Some State Governments have also requested for inclusion of disasters in the
list of identified natural disasters. The issue of inclusion of specific natural disaster in
the list of identified natural disasters for the purpose of incurring expenditure from CRF/
NCCF comes under the purview of the successive Finance Commissions. The present list of
notified natural calamities, which is based on the Award of 12th Finance Commission operative
during the years 2005-06 to 2009-10, consists of cyclone, drought, earthquake/ tsunami, fire,
flood, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloud burst and pest attack.
The State Governments also submit their proposals regarding inclusion of new calamities to the
Finance Commission, for consideration and its inclusion in the identified list of natural disasters.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, in its memorandum submitted to the 13th Finance Commission
for consideration, has inter-alia suggested the inclusion of sea erosion, cold wave/ heat wave,
frost and lightning in the list of calamities eligible for relief under Calamity Relief Fund (CRF/
National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF).
(e) & (f) The Union Government had recommended to all the State Governments/ Union Territory
Administrations to convert their State Departments of Relief and Rehabilitation into Departments
of Disaster Management with the responsibility of looking at the whole cycle of disaster management
i.e. prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, relief and rehabilitation.
As per available information, the States/ Union Territories of Andhra Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar
Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Daman & Diu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,
Jharkhand, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Orissa, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim,
Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand and West Bengal have converted/ redesignated their concerned
Departments so as to include Disaster Management in their nomenclature.
As per available information, all States/UTs except Jharkhand have constituted State Disaster
Management Authority. Statements showing the status of State Disaster Management Authorities/
District Disaster Management Authorities established under the Disaster Management Act, 2005
are at Annexure-I and Annexure-II respectively.
