Declare COVID-19 A Natural Calamity: Uddhav Thackeray Writes To PM

Mumbai: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray wrote to PM Narendra Modi requesting that the pandemic should be treated as a natural calamity and SDRF should be used to provide individual benefits to the affected.

In a letter, CM also requested the Prime Minister to let the State Disaster Response Fund or SDRF be used to provide individual benefits to affected people.

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“We all have accepted this (pandemic) as a natural calamity. So, we are requesting the PM to give individual benefits that are given in natural calamities to the people whose livelihood has been impacted by the pandemic,” Minister said.

While Confirming that Thackeray has written a letter to the PM, Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte told Indian Express: “Though the pandemic is a calamity, it is yet to be defined as a natural calamity. So, individual benefits cannot be given as per the existing system.”

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“Treating the pandemic as a natural calamity is a policy decision to be taken at the national level and the Centre has to take a call on it,” Indian Express quoted him saying.

Officials said that the SDRF was constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, is the primary fund available with state governments when it comes to responding to notified disasters.

An official said that at present, SDRF is being used for infrastructure building such as setting up Covid-19 centres as well as buying oxygen and medicines, among others.

“But it can’t be used to provide individual benefits. If the Centre treats the pandemic as a natural calamity and finalises a methodology to decide on the category of affected people, then the state can give individual benefits to people,” the official told Indian Express.

However, the affected people, who could be covered under the National Food Security Act, can be given Rs 100 per day during the period of restrictions.

“Who has been affected can be decided based on the restrictions imposed from time to time since April 5. At present, it is difficult to calculate an estimated amount required for this purpose,” said the official.

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