Ministry of Home Affairs Launches Scheme for Expansion and Modernization of Fire Services in States

The Ministry of Home Affairs has introduced the “Scheme for Expansion and Modernization of Fire Services in the States” with a significant allocation of Rs. 5,000 Crore. This scheme was announced by Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah during a meeting with Ministers of Disaster Management of the States/Union Territories in New Delhi on June 13, 2023. The objective of the scheme is to strengthen fire services across the country and make India disaster-resilient.

Objective of the Scheme:

The primary goal of the scheme is to expand and modernize fire services in the States by enhancing preparedness and capacity-building components of the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

Funding and Contribution:

• For project proposals under the scheme, State Governments need to contribute 25% of the total cost, except for the North-Eastern and Himalayan (NEH) States, which will contribute 10% from their budgetary resources.
• The scheme is based on the recommendation of the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV-FC), allowing an allocation of 12.5% from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for the Funding Window of Preparedness and Capacity Building.

Allocation and Utilization:

• An amount of Rs. 5,000 Crore has been earmarked from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) corpus for the priority project of “Expanding and Modernization of Fire Services.”
• It is essential to note that there will be no spill-over of liabilities for projects sanctioned beyond the specified award period.

Key Initiatives:

• Under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, several key initiatives are being implemented to achieve the objective of ‘zero death’ and minimal property loss during disasters.
• Strengthening the disaster risk reduction system in India is a crucial step toward making the country disaster-resilient.

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