Kerala govt seeks Rs 4,700 crore from Centre as compensation for flood damage
New Delhi : The Kerala government has submitted a memorandum to the Home Ministry regarding details of damage and requirement of funds for relief operations in the state. At least 488 people have died in the state due to the rains and floods this monsoon. The large-scale devastation had affected 14 districts in the state.
A memorandum has been sent by the state government to MHA, with details about the loss of human life, properties, infrastructure and crops and seeks about Rs 4,700 crore as compensation, a senior government official was quoted as saying by PTI
A detailed memorandum is submitted by the state government in case of any natural calamity beyond the coping capacity of a state. The Kerala government has sent the memorandum, accordingly. As per the existing guidelines, the central government will soon send an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) for on-the-spot assessment of damage and additional requirement of funds, the agency reports.
The Sub-Committee of National Executive Committee (SC-NEC) headed by the Union home secretary will consider the IMCT report, in conformity with the norms. The report will then be considered by a high-level committee, chaired by the home minister for approving the quantum of additional assistance from the NDRF.
During any notified disaster event, the financial mechanism to meet the rescue and relief expenditure is governed by guidelines on State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
State Disaster Response Fund has been constituted in each state in which the Centre contributes 75 per cent for general category states and 90 per cent for special category states of hilly regions every year according to the award of the successive Finance Commissions.
According to the guidelines, the Centre provides its allocation to SDRF of each state in advance in two instalments. In case of any natural calamity, the state meets the expenditure of relief and rescue from the State Disaster Response Fund already available at its disposal.
The central government had released Rs 600 crore to flood-hit Kerala on August 21, as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Rs 500 crore) and Home Minister Rajnath Singh (Rs 100 crore) during their visits to the state. The fund was in addition to Rs 562.45 crore already made available in State Disaster Relief Fund of the state.
courtesy : indianexpress.com
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
