The Government has given its approval to include cold waves and frost as an eligible calamity for relief under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). Presently, cyclones, drought, earthquakes, fire, floods, tsunamis, hailstorms, landslides, avalanches, cloud bursts and pest attacks are treated as natural calamities and damage to the crop under these were eligible for Central and State assistance.
The Cabinet has given it nod pursuant to the recommendations by the Group of Ministers (GoM) on inclusion of cold waves and frost in the list of calamities eligible for assistance. Upon requests from the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh the proposal was taken by the GoM. Due to extreme cold weather the Madhya Pradesh state last year had faced damage of rabi crops such as wheat and pulses.
In February 2011, the GoM was constituted to look into this issue. The GoM comprised former Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, the Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, the Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Montek Singh Ahluwalia.