Chief Minister Majhi announces Rs 1,000 cr special package for flood-hit people
BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday announced a Rs 1,000 crore special package for people affected by recent floods in six districts.
Announcing the package, a day after his visit to Bhadrak and Jajpur districts, at a media-conference in Lok Seva Bhawan, the chief minister said the amount could be increased after a final assessment of the damage. “Odisha has received more than 1,100 mm of rainfall during June-August, 34 per cent above normal and the highest in 25 years. This has caused the floods but our government is fully committed to restore normalcy in the affected areas. Money will not be a hindrance in this direction,” he said.Majhi said he made an extensive tour of the flood-affected areas on Monday by road, by boat and on foot. He visited villages and interacted with the affected people.
“I inspected the arrangements made for the affected people, relief measures and also the quality of food being prepared for them. I enquired with the people about the facilities and problems faced by them. Our government is a people’s government. No matter what calamity strikes, we are and will remain with the people,” he asserted.After taking a review of the flood situation, Majhi said more than 9.4 lakh people in 1,381 villages across 74 blocks of Bhadrak, Jajpur, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Kendrapara districts have been affected. Over 3.7 lakh people have been moved to safer locations with 550 relief camps providing cooked food. Around 45 ODRAF, eight NDRF and 65 fire service teams have been deployed in the six districts.
The special package announced by the CM includes agricultural input subsidies, assistance for crop seeds, livestock and fisheries losses, repair of damaged infrastructure and continued supply of cooked and dry food.Majhi said farmers suffering 33 per cent or more crop damage for up to two hectares will receive an input subsidy of Rs 8,500 per hectare for rainfed areas, Rs 17,000 per hectare for irrigated land and Rs 22,500 per hectare for perennial crops. Artisans and handloom workers whose equipment or machinery have been damaged will receive `5,000 towards replacement along with another `5,000 for loss of raw materials or finished products.
Damaged roads and canal embankments will be repaired on a war-footing with permanent restoration to follow after detailed damage assessment. Cooked and dry food supplies will continue until normalcy returns. Assistance
The government will also provide assistance through direct benefit transfer (DBT) to affected farmers for purchase of paddy and non-paddy seeds. Vegetable mini-kits will be distributed free of cost and a 75 per cent subsidy will be provided for post-flood pest and disease management, he added.