Centre doubles Uttarakhand disaster death compensation to Rs 8 lakh, raises aid for houses, crops and cattle
The revised SDRF and NDRF norms took effect for the 2026-27 financial year and also extend death compensation to relief and rescue personnel.
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The Centre has doubled the ex-gratia payment for deaths in disasters in Uttarakhand to Rs 8 lakh per person, ThePrint reported on Wednesday, citing PTI. The revised Uttarakhand disaster compensation norms also lift aid for damaged houses, injured people, farmers and livestock owners. Officials said they apply from the 2026-27 financial year.
What the SDRF and NDRF norms cover
Assistance paid under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) is covered. Personnel engaged in relief and rescue operations now get death compensation too. Before the change, the death ex-gratia stood at Rs 4 lakh per person, Pioneer Edge reported.
Vinod Kumar, the state’s Disaster Management Secretary, said the revised provisions had come into effect for 2026-27, according to PTI. Directions to apply the new rates are to go to departments and district administrations.
Key numbers
- Death in a disaster: Rs 8 lakh per person, double the earlier Rs 4 lakh, per Pioneer Edge.
- Permanent disability of 40 to 60 per cent: Rs 94,000 per person, against Rs 74,000 before, per ThePrint.
- Severe disability above 60 per cent: Rs 3.20 lakh, from Rs 2.5 lakh, per ThePrint.
- A completely damaged house in plain areas: Rs 1.60 lakh, a rise of Rs 40,000, per ThePrint.
- Rain-fed crops: Rs 11,000 per hectare for a maximum of two hectares, per ThePrint.
- Cows, buffaloes, camels and yaks: Rs 50,000 per animal, capped at three animals per family, per ThePrint.
What Dhami and the state said
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Minister Madan Kaushik thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the decision, PTI reported. Dhami said Uttarakhand’s geography leaves it particularly vulnerable to floods, landslides, cloudbursts and snowfall. These often damage lives, property, farms and livestock.
“With these enhanced standards, more effective financial assistance can be provided to those affected, and relief and restoration efforts will also gain momentum,” Dhami said, according to ThePrint.
Disaster relief in Uttarakhand and the 2027 election
The hike arrives as parties prepare for the 2027 Assembly election. Dhami has said he expects a third straight BJP term, as our report on his Rishikesh park inauguration noted. The state’s election machinery is also moving, with the draft voter list due on 12 November.
What happens next for Uttarakhand disaster compensation
Departments and district administrations will now apply the new Uttarakhand disaster compensation rates to claims. The reports do not say how many families the higher rates could reach. Nor do they give the extra cost to the SDRF.
Uttarakhand sees floods, landslides and cloudbursts nearly every monsoon, so a doubled death payout and higher crop and livestock rates change what affected families receive. The Assembly election is due in 2027, which puts the timing of the announcement under political scrutiny.