Centre releases Rs 600 crore to Kerala, waives off customs duty, GST on relief goods

The Centre on Tuesday announced Rs 600 crore relief to flood-hit Kerala and said that it would waive customs duty and GST on the relief materials being imported for the flood-affected people in the state. The announcement was made after the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) meeting.

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The NCMC met for the sixth consecutive day over the Kerala flood issue on Tuesday.

An official spokesperson said that the interim relief of Rs 500 crore announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rs 100 crore announced by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for flood-affected Kerala has been released to the state government on Tuesday, an official spokesperson said.

Apart from the total Rs 600 crore assistance, the Union government has also decided to waive Customs Duty and the IGST on the relief materials for the flood victims in the state.

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Meanwhile, over 24,000 people have been evacuated till now from the flood-affected areas even as 41 NDRF teams are still carrying out relief and rescue operations in the state, a force spokesperson said today.

“The force has rescued 535 people and evacuated 24,616 marooned people to safer places. 119 animals were also evacuated and pre-hospital treatment was provided to 4,908 people till now," he said.

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At least, 41 teams of the federal disaster contingency force are still deployed in Kerala to assist the state administration in rescue, relief and rehabilitation work and to respond in case of any eventuality, the spokesperson said.

The flood in Kerala has claimed over 223 lives since August 8 in the state’s worst monsoon fury in nearly a century and has rendered over one million people homeless.

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(With inputs from agencies)