Odisha CM announces relief package for Cyclone Arnab victims
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has promised 50 kg of rice and Rs 2,500 to every affected family.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday announced a comprehensive relief package for people affected by cyclone Arnab and subsequent flooding. According to The New Indian Express, the assistance extends to farmers, livestock owners, fishermen, weavers, artisans, and small businesses in districts including Ganjam, Gajapati, and Kandhamal.
Every affected family will receive 50 kg of rice and Rs 2,500 as immediate assistance. For housing, Majhi said the government will provide Rs 1.2 lakh for fully damaged houses in plain areas and Rs 1.3 lakh in hilly areas. Partially damaged pucca and kutcha houses will receive Rs 6,500 and Rs 4,000 respectively.
Farmers with crop losses of 33 per cent or more will be eligible for subsidies of Rs 8,500 per hectare for non-irrigated land and Rs 17,000 for irrigated land. Perennial crops will receive Rs 22,500 per hectare. The state will also provide Rs 18,000 per hectare to farmers for the removal of sand and silt from fields.
The package includes Rs 5,000 for artisans to replace equipment and another Rs 5,000 for loss of materials. Small shops, street vendors, and kiosks will receive Rs 10,000, while larger commercial establishments will get Rs 25,000. For livestock, compensation for the death of milch cattle and buffaloes is fixed at Rs 37,500 per animal.
An eight-member inter-ministerial central team is scheduled to visit Odisha from November 2 to 4 to assess damages. Majhi noted that the relief package will be reviewed again after the assessment of damage once the current weather system passes.