Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah, on Friday, approved the release of Rs.6,194.40 crore to 19 State Governments under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

The amount includes Rs.1,209.60 crore as a Central share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to four States (Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh) for the year 2022-23, according to an official statement.

Also, Rs.4,984.80 crore will be given to 15 States (Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Tripura) for the year 2023-24. The release of funds will help States undertake relief measures during the current Monsoon season.

The Central Government has already approved the release of Rs.3649.40 crore as the Central share of SDRF to 09 States during the year 2023-24. Based on the 15th Finance Commission recommendations, the Central Government has allocated Rs.1,28,122.40 crore for SDRF for the years 2021-22 to 2025-26, the release stated.