Flood-hit families in four districts will receive direct financial assistance, students will get educational support, and legislators across party lines have pledged one month’s salary for relief efforts
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a comprehensive relief package for families affected by the floods in Charaideo, Sivasagar, Golaghat and Jorhat, including Rs 15,000 in direct financial assistance, Rs 9 lakh ex gratia for families of deceased victims and special support for students.
Addressing the public through a Facebook Live session, the Chief Minister said the state has recorded 68 flood-related deaths, while seven people remain missing, mainly from Nazira in Sivasagar district.
Families of those who died in the floods will receive Rs 9 lakh in ex gratia, comprising Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and Rs 4 lakh from the Centre. The Chief Minister also announced that postmortem reports will no longer be mandatory for claiming compensation. Families of the seven missing persons will also be eligible if they remain untraced after one month and are issued a missing certificate.
More than one lakh flood-affected families in the four worst-hit districts will receive Rs 15,000 each through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to help restore their homes and replace essential household items.
The Chief Minister also announced that Orunodoi beneficiaries in Charaideo, Sivasagar, Golaghat and Jorhat will receive Rs 2,500 on August 1 instead of August 3, taking their total immediate assistance to Rs 17,500.
Students affected by the floods will also receive support. School students in Charaideo and Sivasagar will get free uniforms and textbooks, while Higher Secondary, undergraduate and postgraduate students will receive Rs 1,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively to replace study materials.
Meanwhile, members of the Assam Legislative Assembly unanimously resolved to donate one month’s salary for flood relief. TMC and AIUDF legislators joined the initiative, while AIUDF also announced an additional Rs 2 lakh contribution. Earlier, AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal donated Rs 2 crore for relief and sought a Rs 10,000 crore special package from the Centre.
The BJP has also launched a statewide donation campaign to provide clothing to two lakh women and two lakh children in the worst-affected districts, with the initiative expected to cost around Rs 12 crore.
Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika announced free paddy seeds and seedlings for affected farmers, while Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to supporting relief operations.
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