Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday announced a special assistance package of Rs 1,000 crore for people affected by the ongoing floods, stressing that money would never be a constraint in restoring normalcy.
The package, based on a preliminary assessment, may be enhanced after the final damage evaluation. Majhi made the announcement at Lok Seva Bhawan after chairing a high-level meeting on the flood situation and relief operations.
“Whatever the disaster, we stand with the people in their joys and sorrows. Funds will not be a hurdle in bringing affected areas back to normal,” the Chief Minister said. He noted that rainfall this year has been highly unusual. More than 1,100 mm of rain has been recorded in June, July, and August — 34 per cent above the normal and the highest in the last 25 years.
On Sunday, Majhi visited the worst-hit areas of Jajpur and Bhadrak districts. Travelling by road, boat, and on foot, he inspected villages in Dasarathpur block (Kasapa and Tarapada panchayats) of Jajpur and Tihidi block (Shyamsundarpur panchayat) of Bhadrak. He checked the quality of cooked food being prepared at Ramchandrapur school in Jajpur and visited the relief camp at Dapanakana school in Bhadrak, interacting with local residents about relief arrangements.
Floods have also affected Baleshwar, Mayurbhanj, Kendujhar, and Kendrapara. Across the six districts, more than 9.40 lakh people in 1,381 villages under 74 blocks have been impacted. Over 3.70 lakh people have been shifted to safer places, and 550 relief camps are providing cooked food. Forty-five ODRAF, eight NDRF, and 65 fire service teams are currently deployed.
The ten-point package includes:
- Agricultural input subsidy for farmers who suffered 33 per cent or more crop loss (up to 2 hectares): ₹8,500 per hectare for non-irrigated land, ₹17,000 for irrigated land and ₹22,500 for perennial crops.
- Financial assistance through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for purchasing paddy and non-paddy (including pulses such as black gram) seeds. Government and private channels will ensure seed availability.
- Free vegetable mini-kits and 75 per cent subsidy on pest and disease management after the floods.
- Urgent repair of damaged lift irrigation points.
- Compensation for livestock losses and assistance for damaged boats, nets and ponds.
- Conversion of short-term Kharif crop loans into medium-term agricultural loans for willing farmers.
- Assistance of ₹5,000 each for damaged tools/equipment and for raw materials/finished goods in the handicraft and handloom sectors.
- Temporary war-footing repairs of damaged roads, canals and embankments, followed by permanent restoration after detailed assessment.
- Continued supply of cooked or dry food until the situation normalises, plus additional relief rice.
- Financial support for utensils, household items and clothing for affected individuals.
The Chief Minister reiterated the government’s full commitment to the people: “This is a government of the people. We are with them and will remain with them.”
The high-level meeting was attended by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, Rajya Sabha MP Manmohan Samal, the Chief Secretary, Development Commissioner, Additional Chief Secretaries, departmental secretaries and the Special Relief Commissioner.
