Centre releases second advance installment of SDRF for Punjab, Himachal

September 17, 2025

The Central Government has released an advance installment of ₹240 crore to Punjab for the financial year 2025-26 under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). The central government decided to release this amount in light of the flood situation in the state. Himachal Pradesh has also announced an advance installment of ₹198 crore.

This amount has been released to ensure that ongoing relief operations in both states do not face any difficulties.

The Central Government has directed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to immediately deposit the said amount into the accounts of the respective state governments so that it can be used timely for disaster management and relief operations. This amount has been released on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The letter also clarifies that the funds will be used in accordance with the operational guidelines of the SDRF and NDRF, which were formulated based on the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission.

Punjab seeks ₹151 crore from the Centre to desilt farmlands
Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian has appealed to the central government to provide ₹151 crore under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) to desilt agricultural land in Punjab’s border districts.

Addressing the National Agriculture Conference-2025 on Rabi Season Crops, chaired by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi on Tuesday, Khudian said that the recent floods have caused extensive damage to cultivable land and standing crops.