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Assam govt gives ₹15,000 each to 62,696 flood-affected families as relief payouts
CM Sarma said that an assessment on the permanent damages incurred due to flooding will be carried out from next week and completed in ten days
The Assam government on Monday transferred ₹15,000 each as immediate interim relief to flood-affected families in four districts namely Sibsagar, Charaideo, Golaghat and Jorhat.
“The affected people have been receiving relief materials from different sources, but in order to move back to their homes, buy essentials and take measures to clear the sludge in their houses, they need cash. That’s why we have released a sum of ₹15,000 each to the affected families”, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Sarma informed that a total of 62,696 families in the worst affected districts of Sibsagar (35,289), Charaideo (19,883), Golaghat (2,593) and Jorhat (4,922) were provided the amounts through bank transfer on Monday.
“But according to inputs by district authorities, the number of affected families could rise to 75,000. We are prepared to pay the same amount to another 15,000 affected families as and when their bank details are received and corroborated,” he said.
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The CM stated that assessment of more affected families would continue till August 5 and the interim relief would be provided to them after completing all necessary formalities in the next two days.
“For those families from Sibsagar and Charaideo (the two most affected districts) who are not in a position to return to their homes till August 9 due to flooding and other issues, we will provide them with another sum of ₹10,000 each,” he said.
Sarma said that an assessment on the permanent damages incurred due to flooding will be carried out from next week and completed in ten days. After that compensation amounts to rebuild their homes would be disbursed.
The CM informed about the other measures undertaken by the state government to provide relief to those affected including providing ₹9 lakh each to families of those who have lost their kin in flooding.
A six month moratorium on loans and extension of loan repayment tenure by 1-2 years and an additional ₹2,500 each to families in flood-affected districts covered under the flagship Orunodoi poverty alleviation scheme are some of the other announcements made.
Sarma stated that the flood affected families won’t have to pay land taxes for a year and also waived off the electricity bill for July for them.
Heavy flooding in the worst-affected districts have claimed 85 lives till Sunday and according to figures released by Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Sunday, 1,36,203 persons in five districts were still affected while 10,844 persons were taking shelter in relief camps.
