RTI for Disaster Relief: Tracking NDRF and SDRF Funds After Floods and Cyclones

When a flood submerges a district, a cyclone flattens a coastal village, or a landslide buries a hillside town, two things typically happen in rapid succession. First, the central and state governments announce the release of funds — crores from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), more crores from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) — and senior officials are photographed at the disaster site pledging immediate relief. Second, many of the affected families receive little to nothing.

The gap between official announcements and ground-level reality is one of the most persistent and least examined failures in Indian public administration. Relief funds disappear into procurement processes, get stuck in administrative pipelines, are siphoned through inflated contracts, or are distributed selectively based on connections rather than damage assessments. The beneficiaries — already displaced, often without documentation — are in the worst possible position to demand accountability.

The Right to Information Act, 2005 is the statutory instrument that can bridge this gap. NDRF, SDRF, and the entire bureaucratic machinery that manages disaster relief are funded by public money and administered by public authorities. Every allocation letter, every distribution record, every beneficiary list, and every procurement contract is a document in the possession of a public authority — and is therefore accessible to any citizen under Section 6 of the RTI Act.

This guide explains the legal framework governing disaster funds, who the right authorities are, exactly what information RTI can obtain, how to draft precise RTI questions, and how to use what you find.

The Legal Framework: Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the Two Funds

The Disaster Management Act, 2005 is the primary legislation governing how India prepares for and responds to natural disasters. It established two key institutional structures: the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) at the central level, chaired by the Prime Minister, and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) in each state, chaired by the Chief Minister.

The Act also created the statutory basis for the two funds that finance disaster response:

The National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), established under Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, is held by the Central Government. It is a statutory fund — not a voluntary trust or a discretionary scheme — constituted by Act of Parliament. The NDMA and the Ministry of Home Affairs administer its use. The NDRF is replenished by budgetary allocations from the Finance Commission's recommendations. When a state is hit by a disaster and its SDRF is insufficient, the state government requests central assistance; the NDMA assesses the damage report and recommends release of funds from the NDRF to the state government's account.

The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) operates at the state level, also under the Disaster Management Act. Each state has an SDRF, constituted in accordance with Finance Commission norms. The states contribute a portion; the Central Government transfers a matching or proportional contribution. The SDRF is the first-line fund for disaster response — states draw from it for immediate relief before seeking central top-up from the NDRF.

Both funds are statutory, publicly financed, and administered by public authorities. Both are fully subject to the RTI Act.

What NDRF and SDRF cover: Relief funds under these schemes are used for ex gratia payments to families who have lost members or property, for relief camps (food, water, medical care, shelter), for rescue operations, for repair of public infrastructure, for livelihood support to farmers and artisans, and for procurement of relief material. The quantum of assistance — how much a family gets per death, per house damaged, per hectare of crop lost — is determined by the state government's State Disaster Response Fund norms, often called the SDRF SOP (standard operating procedure) or state schedule of rates.

The Institutional Architecture: Who Holds What Information

Understanding who holds which piece of information is critical to targeting your RTI application correctly. The disaster relief money flows through multiple layers:

1. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) / NDMA (Central level): Decides the total NDRF release to a state; issues sanction letters; holds the inter-ministerial committee's recommendations; maintains the NDRF ledger.
2. State government / State Relief Commissioner: Receives NDRF transfers; manages the SDRF; issues State Executive Committee decisions on disaster declarations and relief norms; holds the master allocation to districts.
3. District Collector / District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA): The implementation agency. Receives district allocations from the state; supervises damage assessments (known as girdawari in some states, Joint Assessment Reports in others); maintains block-wise and village-wise distribution records; runs relief camps; issues ex gratia payments.
4. Block Development Officer (BDO) / Tehsildar: Ground-level distribution. The BDO or tehsildar typically maintains the actual beneficiary register — the list of families, what they were assessed as receiving, and whether payment was made.

For RTI purposes: Central questions (How much NDRF was sanctioned for this state?) go to NDMA or MHA — second appeal to the Central Information Commission (CIC). State and district questions (How was it distributed? Who got ex gratia?) go to the State Relief Commissioner and District Collector — second appeal to the State Information Commission (SIC) of the respective state.

What RTI Can Get You: The Full Information Landscape

This is the most important section for anyone affected by a disaster or tracking disaster relief on behalf of a community. These are the categories of information that public authorities hold and that are legally required to be disclosed:

NDRF sanctioned amounts and state allocation letters: The NDMA issues formal sanction letters when it releases NDRF funds to a state. These letters specify the total amount sanctioned, the disaster event and period it covers, any conditions attached, and the account to which funds are being released. RTI to the NDMA or MHA will produce this document.

State-wise and district-wise disbursement records: After receiving central funds, the state government's Finance Department or Relief Commissioner issues district-wise allocation orders. These show exactly how much was earmarked for each affected district. RTI to the State Relief Commissioner or Finance Department produces this.

Beneficiary lists and payment records: At the district and block level, relief is distributed against beneficiary lists — enumerated registers of affected families, their survey numbers, assessed damage, entitlement under the SDRF norms, and payment status (paid, pending, rejected). This is the most granular and most important document for verifying whether relief reached actual victims. RTI to the District Collector or DDMA is the right route.

Ex gratia payment amounts per family: Each state government publishes a schedule (under its SDRF norms) showing the payment rate for each category of disaster loss: death of a family member, total house damage, partial house damage, crop loss per hectare, loss of livestock, loss of fishing equipment, and so on. RTI can confirm what the published rates are and, more importantly, cross-reference them with what individual families actually received.

Relief camp records: If the government operated relief camps — shelters for flood or cyclone evacuees — those camps generate a paper trail: number of persons sheltered, duration, food supply records (quantity, cost, supplier), water supply arrangements, and medical services provided. RTI to the District Collector or the relevant district-level implementing agency will produce daily camp registers, procurement records, and expenditure statements.

Damage assessment survey documents: The district administration conducts a damage assessment after every significant disaster — a girdawari or Joint Assessment Report that enumerates, on a village-by-village or house-by-house basis, the damage caused. This survey is the basis for determining entitlement. If your house is assessed as partially damaged rather than fully damaged, you get a lower ex gratia payment. If your household is omitted from the survey entirely, you get nothing. RTI to access the actual damage assessment report — not just the summary — gives you the raw data to verify whether your family was assessed correctly and whether the overall survey numbers match the disbursements.

Compensation calculation under the state SDRF SOP: The state government's official document setting out the per-unit rates for different categories of disaster loss. This is the schedule against which you can verify whether a payment was correctly calculated.

Complaint register: District-level disaster management offices are supposed to maintain a record of grievances received from disaster victims about relief distribution. RTI can access this register — both to see whether complaints were filed and what action was taken on them.

Relief material procurement records: When the government procures food, drinking water, medicines, tarpaulins, utensils, and other relief material, it does so through a procurement process that should generate quotations, purchase orders, delivery receipts, and payment records. Inflated procurement — a common form of disaster relief corruption, where contractors bill for goods never delivered — leaves a trail in these documents. RTI to the District Collector or the state-level procurement agency is the way to access this trail.

Who to Address Your RTI Application To

The RTI Act requires you to address your application to the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of the specific public authority you are seeking information from. Here is the practical map:

For NDRF allocation from the Centre to a state: File with the CPIO at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi. Second appeal to the CIC.

For state SDRF management and district allocations: File with the CPIO at the Office of the Relief Commissioner or State Disaster Management Authority of the relevant state government. Second appeal to the SIC of that state.

For district-level distribution, beneficiary lists, damage surveys, and procurement: File with the CPIO at the Office of the District Collector / District Magistrate of the affected district. Second appeal to the SIC of that state.

For block-level distribution and ground-level beneficiary registers: File with the CPIO at the Block Development Office or Tehsildar Office for the affected block or tehsil. Second appeal to the SIC.

For CAG audit reports on SDRF utilisation: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India audits state government finances, including SDRF accounts. CAG audit reports on SDRF are tabled in state legislatures and are publicly available on the CAG's website (cag.gov.in). For specific information about whether a CAG audit of SDRF was conducted, or for audit working papers, file with the CPIO at the CAG of India. Second appeal to the CIC (the CAG is a constitutional office under the Union).

For state SDRF audit reports where the state AG audits: In many states, the Accountant General (AG) conducts state finance audits. RTI to the state AG's office can produce audit findings on SDRF utilisation that have not been publicly reported.

Sample RTI Application: District-Level Disaster Relief

Here is a sample RTI application that can be adapted for a district-level inquiry. File it with the CPIO, Office of the District Collector, District Name, State.

To
The Central Public Information Officer
Office of the District Collector / District Magistrate
District Name, State

Subject: Application under Section 6 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 — Information regarding disaster relief funds and distribution for name of disaster, e.g., floods of July–August 2025

Sir/Madam,

I, the undersigned, am a resident of address and hereby request the following information under Section 6 of the Right to Information Act, 2005. I enclose the required fee of ₹10 by Indian Postal Order / demand draft / online payment. BPL cardholders may add: I am a BPL cardholder and enclose a copy of my BPL ration card. Under Section 7(5) of the RTI Act, no fee is applicable.

1. The total amount of SDRF/NDRF funds received by this district for the flood/cyclone/disaster of month, year, including the date of release and the authority that sanctioned the release.
2. The block-wise and village-wise breakdown of the total funds allocated within the district, including the document (circular or order number and date) by which this allocation was made.
3. The number of families identified as affected by the disaster, categorised by level of damage (complete house loss, partial house loss, crop loss, etc.), as per the damage assessment survey (girdawari / Joint Assessment Report) conducted for affected villages / tehsils.
4. A copy of the damage assessment survey report (girdawari / JAR) for specific village or list of villages conducted after the disaster of month, year.
5. The number of families who have received ex gratia payments, the total amount disbursed, and the beneficiary list (name, village, survey number, category of loss, amount paid, and date of payment) for affected tehsil / block / village.
6. The ex gratia rate per family applicable under the state SDRF norms for this district for each category of loss (death of family member, complete house damage, partial house damage, crop loss per hectare, livestock loss).
7. The records of any relief camps operated in the district during the disaster period, including location, number of persons sheltered per day, and food and water supply records.
8. The procurement records (purchase orders, vendor names, quantities procured, rates paid, and delivery receipts) for relief material (food, drinking water, medicines, tarpaulins, and other relief goods) procured and distributed in connection with the disaster.
9. The complaint register maintained by the District Disaster Management Authority for grievances filed by disaster-affected families regarding relief distribution, for the period start date to end date.
10. The names and designations of officials responsible for conducting the damage assessment survey and for authorising relief payments in the district for this disaster.

Under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, I request a response within 30 days. If any of the above information is held by a different public authority, I request transfer under Section 6(3) and kindly inform me of the transferee authority.

Yours faithfully,
Name
Address
Contact
Date:

Sample RTI Application: NDMA (Central Level)

For central-level NDRF data, file with the CPIO at the NDMA, Ministry of Home Affairs:

1. The total amount sanctioned from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for the state of state name in connection with the disaster of month, year, the date of sanction, and the sanction order number.
2. A copy of the sanction letter / inter-ministerial committee recommendation approving the NDRF release for state for this disaster.
3. The report submitted by the state government to the NDMA for assessment of damage and justification for central NDRF assistance, for the disaster of month, year.
4. The NDRF allocation for each state affected by type of disaster during the financial year year, in tabular form.

The PM Relief Fund Is Different — and Why It Matters

One question that comes up frequently in disaster contexts is the PM National Relief Fund (PMNRF), and sometimes PM CARES. These are separate from NDRF and SDRF and have a different legal and accountability status.

PMNRF is a public charitable trust chaired by the Prime Minister. Unlike NDRF, it is not a statutory fund under the Disaster Management Act. However, the Central Information Commission has held that PMNRF is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act — it has operated under PMO oversight and received contributions connected to government mechanisms. RTI applications to PMNRF have produced responses about fund receipts and disbursements, and second appeal lies to the CIC.

PM CARES is a separate public charitable trust established in 2020. Its RTI status is contested and has been extensively litigated. Courts have generally held that PM CARES is not a public authority under the RTI Act. The PM CARES question — including the legal arguments on both sides — is covered separately in our blog on PM CARES and RTI. For disaster relief accountability, the most effective RTI targets are NDMA, the State Relief Commissioner, and the District Collector — the statutory authorities that hold the records of where public money actually went.

CAG Reports on SDRF: What They Show and How to Use Them

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India is India's constitutional auditor under Article 148. CAG reports on state finances routinely include findings on SDRF utilisation — and the findings are frequently damning.

CAG audit reports on SDRF have found: funds lying idle in state accounts for years without disbursement; SDRF used for ineligible purposes (routine administrative expenses, road works unrelated to disaster damage); ex gratia payments made to non-existent or ineligible beneficiaries; procurement of relief material at inflated rates without competitive tendering; and shortfalls in state government contributions to SDRF in breach of Finance Commission norms.

CAG reports on state finances are tabled in the state legislature and published on the CAG website. You do not need an RTI to access a tabled CAG report — it is a public document. But RTI is useful for:

• Asking the CAG whether an audit of SDRF utilisation for a specific disaster or financial year has been completed or is planned.
• Asking the state government's Finance Department whether a CAG audit para on SDRF has been received, and what action taken report (ATR) has been submitted in response.
• Asking the state's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) secretariat for the ATR on specific CAG paragraphs about SDRF — because the state's response to the CAG is itself a document held by a public authority.

Using RTI Evidence to File Complaints: Lokayukta and District Magistrate

RTI is a tool for obtaining evidence. Once you have the documents, you can use them as the basis for formal complaints through accountability mechanisms:

Lokayukta: Most Indian states have a Lokayukta — an independent ombudsman with powers to investigate corruption and maladministration by state government officials. If your RTI documents show that beneficiary lists were manipulated, relief funds were diverted to ineligible recipients, or officials signed off on payments that were never made, a complaint to the Lokayukta with copies of the RTI responses and the discrepant records is a formal accountability action that can result in investigation and prosecution. The Lokayukta's proceedings are independent of the RTI process and can proceed even when the CPIO's response is incomplete or evasive.

District Magistrate / DM's public grievance mechanism: Most District Magistrates have a structured grievance redressal mechanism — public hearings, a collector's grievance portal, or a direct complaint desk. If your RTI reveals that a specific village's beneficiary list was incomplete or that specific families were wrongly excluded from ex gratia payments, a complaint to the DM with the RTI documents attached is a concrete, documentable accountability action. It also creates a record that the DM was on notice — relevant if matters escalate.

State Information Commission for penalty: If a CPIO refuses to provide disaster relief information without lawful grounds — claiming the information is not held, citing exemptions that do not apply, or simply not responding — the SIC has the power to impose a penalty on the CPIO personally of ₹250 per day up to ₹25,000 under Section 20 of the RTI Act. The SIC can also recommend disciplinary action. Filing a Second Appeal at the SIC with a clear record of the CPIO's unjustified refusal puts the official personally at risk — which changes the calculus.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC): In cases where the denial of disaster relief amounts to a violation of the right to life — for example, where relief camp conditions were so inadequate that deaths resulted, or where the failure to provide ex gratia payments has caused destitution — the NHRC has jurisdiction to investigate. RTI documents showing the gap between what was allocated and what was received are precisely the kind of evidence the NHRC requires.

Key RTI Act Provisions for Disaster Relief Applications

When filing RTI applications about disaster relief, these are the provisions you will rely on:

Section 4 (Proactive Disclosure): Every public authority is required to proactively publish, without any RTI application, a wide range of information about its functions, decisions, and expenditure. State and district disaster management authorities should be publishing SDRF utilisation reports, beneficiary lists, and procurement details proactively. If they are not doing so, that non-compliance is itself an accountability issue — and your RTI application implicitly points to it.

Section 6 (Filing the Application): Your right to file an RTI application for any information held by a public authority. You do not need to state reasons under Section 6(2).

Section 7(1) (30-Day Response): The CPIO must respond within 30 days. No extensions beyond the specific provisions in the Act are permissible. Where disaster relief distribution is ongoing and ongoing harm is occurring, emphasise the urgency.

Section 7(1) proviso (48-Hour Rule for Life or Liberty): Where information concerns the life or liberty of a person, the CPIO must respond within 48 hours. If a family's survival depends on knowing whether their relief payment has been processed — for example, if they are sheltering in a relief camp and have nowhere to go — the 48-hour provision can be invoked.

Section 19(1) (First Appeal): If the CPIO does not respond within 30 days, or provides an incomplete or unsatisfactory response, you may file a First Appeal within 30 days of the date of the decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. The First Appellate Authority is an officer senior to the CPIO within the same public authority.

Section 19(3) (Second Appeal): If the First Appellate Authority does not provide a satisfactory response, you may file a Second Appeal with the State Information Commission within 90 days of the First Appeal decision. Second appeal for NDMA-related matters goes to the Central Information Commission.

Section 20 (Penalty on CPIO): The CIC/SIC can impose a penalty of ₹250 per day (up to ₹25,000) on a CPIO who has, without reasonable cause, denied a request, given incomplete information, knowingly given incorrect information, or obstructed the furnishing of information. In disaster relief contexts — where public authorities have obvious institutional reasons to suppress information about distribution failures — invoking the realistic prospect of a Section 20 penalty in your First Appeal can sharpen the CPIO's response.

RTI Fee and Who Is Exempt

The application fee is ₹10 under the RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. This applies to applications filed with both Central Government and state government public authorities, unless the state has prescribed different rules (most states have adopted the same ₹10 fee or lower).

BPL exemption: Citizens who hold a Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration card are exempt from all fees under the RTI Act — application fee, additional fee for documents, and any other charges. Since disaster relief RTI is most likely to be filed by people who are themselves disaster-affected — and many of whom will be BPL — it is important to know that cost is not a barrier. Attach a copy of your BPL ration card to your application and state that you are a BPL cardholder under Section 7(5).

Fee can be paid by Indian Postal Order (IPO), demand draft, or — for Central Government RTI filed via rtionline.gov.in — online payment. State government portals typically have their own fee payment systems.

A Note on What RTI Cannot Do Alone

RTI gives you the right to obtain documents. It does not guarantee that the documents will be complete, accurate, or that acting on them will be easy.

In disaster relief contexts, some specific limitations to be aware of: Beneficiary lists at the block level may be incomplete or may have been prepared after distribution (post-facto) to match payments that were actually made by some other criterion. Damage assessment surveys (girdawari) may undercount affected households in remote or inaccessible areas. Procurement records may reflect the billing documents rather than actual delivery. Ex gratia payment records may show cheque issuances that were never encashed, or payments made to accounts that affected families did not control.

RTI documents are the starting point for accountability — not the endpoint. When RTI reveals discrepancies between official records and ground-level reality, the follow-up mechanisms — Lokayukta complaints, DM grievances, media exposure, NHRC petitions, and SIC second appeals — are the instruments that convert documents into action.

Disaster relief is public money spent for the most urgent public purpose. When floods destroy homes and cyclones take lives, the families affected are at their most vulnerable. The RTI Act gives every citizen — including, and especially, disaster survivors — the legal right to know exactly how much money was allocated, how it was supposed to be distributed, and what actually happened at the village and block level.

If you have been affected by a flood, cyclone, landslide, or other disaster, and relief funds have not reached you, RTISathi.com can help you draft and file precise RTI applications targeting the NDMA, State Relief Commissioner, District Collector, and Block Development Office. We can also assist with First Appeals and Second Appeals if the initial response is delayed, incomplete, or unjustifiably refused. You are entitled to answers — and we can help you get them.