Centre Approves ₹725.62 Crore Projects in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal to Boost Disaster Resilience.

A high-level committee chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved ₹725.62 crore for enhancing and modernizing fire services in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal, aiming to strengthen disaster resilience in these states. The projects include ₹147.76 crore for Chhattisgarh, ₹201.10 crore for Odisha, and ₹376.76 crore for West Bengal, as announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The committee includes the Union Finance Minister, Agriculture Minister, and NITI Aayog's Vice Chairman.

In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a disaster-resilient India, the MHA has allocated ₹5,000 crore under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for expanding and modernizing state fire services. To date, proposals worth ₹2,542.12 crore from 15 states have been approved.

The Centre has released over ₹21,026 crore to support state disaster preparedness this year, including ₹14,878.40 crore through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to 26 states, ₹4,637.66 crore from the NDRF to 15 states, ₹1,385.45 crore from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 11 states, and ₹124.93 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to 3 states.

The MHA emphasized that these funds support disaster risk reduction initiatives nationwide, aiming to minimize loss of life and property by strengthening the country’s disaster response capabilities.

HBL