Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said 96,842 flood-affected families had so far received one-time financial assistance of Rs 15,000 each as the state government began a detailed assessment of damage caused by the floods.
The Chief Minister said the list of beneficiaries was still being prepared and around 3,000 more families could be covered in the next phase.
Longer-term rehabilitation is also being considered for some of the worst-hit areas of Sivasagar and Charaideo. The government has spent Rs 146.26 crore on the assistance distributed so far. The Chief Minister said the list of beneficiaries was still being prepared and around 3,000 more families could be covered in the next phase. He also said Rs 2,500 had been provided to eligible beneficiaries under the Orunodoi scheme, adding that the government was using direct financial assistance to support families returning to their homes after the floods. The government is separately working on ex-gratia payments of Rs 9 lakh to the next of kin of those who died in the floods, the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister said complaints that remain unresolved could lead to another field verification. Sarma said the state government had discussed the possibility of providing houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for eligible families in the two districts. The Chief Minister said the immediate priority was to finish the damage assessment, give people an opportunity to challenge the findings and complete the compensation process for eligible families.
