Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a sweeping relief package for families hit by severe flooding in Charaideo, Sivasagar, Golaghat, and Jorhat. The state government will distribute Rs 15,000 via Direct Benefit Transfer to over one lakh families for home restoration and essential supplies. Death benefits for victims now total Rs 9 lakh, sourced from both state and central funds. Officials scrapped the postmortem requirement for these claims. Families of seven missing individuals from Nazira will also receive compensation if they remain untraced after one month.
Sarma confirmed that August 1 marks the early release of Orunodoi payments. Beneficiaries in the four flood-stricken districts will receive an extra Rs 2,500, pushing their total immediate support to Rs 17,500. Students in the region will get new textbooks, uniforms, and cash aid. Higher secondary pupils get Rs 1,000, while undergraduates and postgraduates receive Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively. Lost academic documents will be reissued for free.
The BJP state unit joined the effort, shipping Rs 16 crore worth of relief supplies from Guwahati. This includes 1.8 lakh children’s T-shirts, 1.8 lakh mekhela chadors, and 1.5 lakh mosquito nets. These materials were collected through voluntary donations from party workers. The chief minister plans to meet bank representatives soon to discuss loan relief for affected borrowers. He stated, "August will be a special month for Assam as several welfare programmes to serve our people will gain a new momentum."
Statewide welfare efforts also resume in August. Over 37 lakh women will see Orunodoi transfers begin on August 1. Meanwhile, a subsidised ration initiative starts August 10, offering free rations plus dal and sugar for Rs 100 to 70 lakh people. Officials will also distribute applications for the Nijut Moina and Nijut Babu schemes in early August.
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