By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Indian Air Force has asked the state government to pay Rs 290.74 crore as aircraft charge for holding rescue operations during mid-August flood and for supplying ration materials.

Making the statement in the Assembly, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) has a sum of Rs 987.73 crore, of which Rs 586.04 crore has been spent.

The state urgently requires Rs 706.74 crore to clear the liabilities including Rs 290.74 crore charged by the Centre. The aircraft charge alone comes to Rs 33.79 crore. If the state government spends the balance amount in the SDRF on its current activities, it will have to borrow to clear the liabilities, he said.

The CM’s Distress Relief Fund has received a total of Rs 2,683.16 crore as a donation, including the fund collected till date through Salary Challenge of which Rs 688.48 crore has been spent.