Assam flood toll rises to 75, govt raises aid for victims' families
As the death toll from Assam's floods climbed to 75 with seven more fatalities reported on Tuesday, the Himanta Biswa Sarma government announced a slew
As the death toll from Assam's floods climbed to 75 with seven more fatalities reported on Tuesday, the Himanta Biswa Sarma government announced a slew of relief measures, including increasing compensation for the families of those killed or missing to Rs 9 lakh and easing documentation requirements for claiming the ex gratia. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), all seven deaths were reported from the Nazira revenue circle in Sivasagar district. Read Full Story While the death toll rose, the overall flood situation showed signs of improvement, with the number of affected people declining to 3.32 lakh across seven districts from 4.45 lakh a day earlier. The deluge continues to affect Sivasagar, Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon, Sonitpur and Kamrup Metropolitan districts, inundating 622 villages across 21 revenue circles. Charaideo remains the worst-hit district with 1,42,756 people affected, followed by Sivasagar (97,074) and Jorhat (57,371). GOVT EASES EX GRATIA NORMS, HIKES PAYOUT Meanwhile, in a Facebook Live address, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government has relaxed the norms for disbursing ex gratia to the next of kin of those killed in the floods.
Sarma said that families will no longer be required to submit a post-mortem report, with a certificate issued by the concerned circle officer now being sufficient to claim the compensation. The state government also announced an additional Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund over the existing Rs 4 lakh ex gratia, taking the total compensation for families of those killed in the floods to Rs 9 lakh. "Over and above the Rs 4 lakh ex gratia per victim that is paid at present, we have decided to give additional Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased from the CM's Relief Fund," he said. The same amount will also be extended to the families of missing persons if their bodies are not recovered within a month, with the circle officer authorised to issue the required certificate. The government further announced an interim financial assistance of Rs 15,000 for around one lakh severely affected families in the four worst-hit districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat.
The amount will be directly transferred to beneficiaries' bank accounts to help meet immediate household expenses. In another relief measure, beneficiaries of the Orunodoi scheme in these four districts will receive Rs 2,500 for August instead of the usual Rs 1,250. Sarma said the temporary increase would be offset by a slight one-time reduction in payouts to beneficiaries in other parts of the state. Students in Sivasagar and Charaideo whose education has been disrupted by the floods will receive financial assistance for books and uniforms. The government will provide Rs 1,000 to higher secondary students, Rs 3,000 to undergraduate students and Rs 5,000 to postgraduate students for purchasing books, while fees for issuing duplicate educational marksheets have also been waived. Sarma said more than Rs 26 crore has been collected in the Chief Minister's Relief Fund since the latest wave of floods began around 10 days ago, including Rs 60 lakh through micro-donations from 4,610 individuals. The fund will be used to provide interim relief, educational assistance and other support not covered under existing government guidelines.
The BriefWire