Odisha govt unveils ₹1,000 crore relief package for flood-hit districts | Economy & Policy News

The Odisha government on Tuesday announced a special assistance package of ₹1,000 crore for people affected by the floods in the state, assuring that the government would not impose any financial restriction on relief and restoration measures.

 

More than 18 lakh people across 22 districts in the state have been hit by floods in five river systems in the two phases this season. The devastating floods have claimed 13 lives so far and damaged over 5,000 houses and 50,000 hectares of agricultural land.

 

Announcing the package after a high-level meeting on the flood situation at Lok Seva Bhawan here, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the amount had been worked out on the basis of initial estimates and could be enhanced after a detailed assessment of the damage.

 
 

The compensation package covers damage to houses, crops and infrastructure, and loss of human lives and livestock. A major component of the ₹1,000 crore package is assistance to farmers who have suffered crop and livelihood losses.

 

Farmers whose crop damage is 33 per cent or more will be eligible for an agricultural input subsidy of ₹8,500 per hectare in non-irrigated areas, up to two hectares. The assistance will be ₹17,000 per hectare for irrigated areas and ₹22,500 per hectare for perennial crops.

 

The government will also provide financial assistance through direct benefit transfer (DBT) to affected farmers for purchasing paddy and non-paddy seeds, including pulses. Free vegetable mini-kits will also be distributed among affected farmers, while a 75 per cent subsidy will be provided for post-flood disease and pest management.

 

The government has decided to provide funds on a priority basis for repairing damaged lift irrigation points. Assistance will be extended to people who have suffered livelihood losses, including those dependent on boats, fishing nets and ponds damaged by the floods.

 

Short-term kharif agricultural loans of interested farmers will be converted into medium-term agricultural loans to provide relief to farmers facing repayment difficulties. Under the package, families whose houses have been completely destroyed will receive ₹1.2 lakh from the State Disaster Response Fund for reconstruction.

 

The package also extends support to the handicraft and handloom sectors. Artisans and weavers will receive ₹5,000 towards the purchase of damaged equipment or machinery and another ₹5,000 in case of loss of raw materials or finished goods.

 

Infrastructure restoration will also be taken up on a priority basis. Temporary repairs to flood-damaged roads and canal embankments will be undertaken on a war footing to restore connectivity and irrigation facilities. Permanent repairs will be taken up after a detailed assessment of damage to the affected infrastructure.

 

Besides food supplies, funds will be made available to affected families for essential household requirements, including utensils, cushions and clothes. The government was fully committed to restoring normalcy in the flood-hit areas and would provide whatever funds were required for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction, Majhi said.

 

Explaining the severity of the situation, the chief minister said Odisha had received more than 1,100 mm of rainfall during June, July and August, which was 34 per cent above normal. He said such an abnormal rainfall pattern had not been witnessed in the state in the last 25 years.

 

Apart from Bhadrak and Jajpur districts, which the CM visited on Monday, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Kendrapara districts have also been affected by the floods this time. According to the government, more than 9.4 lakh people in 1,381 villages across 74 blocks have been affected by the recent floods. More than 3.7 lakh people have so far been evacuated to safer locations, while 550 relief camps have been opened where cooked food is being served.

 

The state has deployed 45 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, eight National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 65 fire service teams in the six affected districts for rescue, evacuation and relief operations.

 

Majhi had travelled by boat and walked through inundated villages, interacting with affected residents in Dasharathpur block of Jajpur district and Thidi block of Bhadrak district. He also inspected cooked food being prepared at relief camps and visited cyclone and flood shelter homes to assess the facilities available to displaced people and understand their difficulties.

 

The chief minister said the government would continue to closely monitor the situation and ensure that relief reaches every affected family. The assistance package is aimed not only at providing immediate relief but also at helping farmers, artisans, fishers and other affected sections rebuild their livelihoods and return to normal life as quickly as possible, he added.

 

On August 3, Majhi had announced an initial ₹110 crore flood relief package for the flood-hit people. In the first phase, 8.64 lakh people in 15 urban local bodies and 1,458 villages across 22 districts were affected.