The Centre during a high-level committee meeting, chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah, has approved for releasing nearly Rs 4,382 crore to six states as part of central assistance for the natural disasters they faced this year.

West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Sikkim and Madhya Pradesh will receive the funds as assistance for the destruction caused due to cyclones, landslides and other calamities.

“The high-level committee has approved additional central assistance of Rs 4,381.88 crore to six states from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF),” the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.

West Bengal will receive nearly Rs 2,707.77 crore for cyclone Amphan, while for Odisha 128.23 crore has been approved. Rs 268.59 crore has been approved for Maharashtra for cyclone Nisarga.

Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Sikkim will receive Rs 577.84, Rs 611.61 crore and Rs 87.84 crore respectively for floods and landslides during the south-west monsoon in the states.

Following his visit to West Bengal and Odisha to analyse the aftermath of cyclone Amphan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced financial assistance of Rs 1,000 crore and Rs 500 crore to the states respectively.

“In addition, the prime minister had also announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for the next of kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured, which was over and above the ex-gratia provided through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the NDRF”, the statement said.

“In all the six states, the central government had deputed Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) immediately after the calamities, without waiting for the receipt of memorandum from the affected states.”

“In addition, during the financial year 2020-21, till date, the central government has released Rs 15,524.43 crore to 28 states from the SDRF", the statement added.