NEW DELHI: The Centre clarified on Thursday that the Rs 600 crore disbursed so far to flood-hit Kerala was only advance assistance and that additional funds would be released from the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) on a fresh assessment of damages as per the laid-down procedure.

The Rs 600 crore advance assistance is in addition to Rs 562.45 crore made available to the state through the state disaster relief fund (SDRF). The Centre contributes 75% of the money in SDRF for “general category” states like Kerala. Further central assistance from the NDRF will be cleared once an additional memorandum is received from the Pinarayi Vijayan government tabulating the fresh damages due to floods caused by the second spell of rain.

While Kerala had sent the first memorandum seeking flood relief on July 21 and the Centre responded by sending an inter-ministerial team to the state from August 7 to 12 to assess the damages, a second spell of rains thereafter caused the floods to take a serious turn. The state government has now stated that it will be submitting an additional memorandum on the fresh damages once rescue efforts are over.

“Since submission of additional memorandum by the state will take time, with a view to assist the state in meeting relief and rescue expenditure, the central government has released Rs 600 crore in advance pending assessment by the inter-ministerial central team and a decision by a high-level committee on further central assistance,” said a senior home ministry officer.

Opposition parties, including Congress and CPM, the latter being the ruling party in Kerala, have slammed the Rs 600 crore extended by the Modi government to the state for flood relief, saying that it fell way short of the massive destruction caused to life and property.

The home ministry, in a statement issued on Thursday, said the Centre had provided urgent aid and relief material to Kerala in a timely manner and without any reservation. “The situation has been… monitored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a daily basis and he visited the state on August 17-18, 2018. On his instructions, the National Crisis Management Committee, under the chairmanship of the cabinet secretary, regularly monitored and coordinated rescue-and-relief operations by holding daily meetings from August 16 to 21, 2018.”

The Centre, in one of the largest rescue operations, deployed 40 helicopters, 31 aircraft, 500 boats, 182 rescue teams and 18 medical teams of defence forces, 58 teams of NDRF and seven companies of central paramilitary forces. Together they saved over 60,000 human lives.

“The search-and-rescue operations and mobilisation of resources alone would cost the central government hundreds of crores of rupees,” said the home ministry.

The Centre also made available emergency food, water, medicines and other essential supplies, “In supplying these materials, normal rules and procedure have been set aside in view of the emergency nature of the requirement in Kerala,” said the home ministry.

After the visit of the PM, several measures were announced, including ex gratia payment from the PM’s National Relief Fund, building of damaged houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and additional 5.5 crore person days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Also, national agencies such as NHAI, NTPC and PGCIL would assist the state in repairing national highways and restoring power etc.

