Nearly 97,000 Flood-Hit Families in Assam Receive Rs 15,000 Each

Guwahati: Nearly 97,000 families affected by floods in Assam have so far received one-time financial assistance of Rs 15,000 each, as the state government steps up efforts to assess the damage caused by the floods.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that 96,842 families had received the assistance so far. The government has spent around Rs 146.26 crore on the relief distributed to these families.

The announcement came after another 31,991 affected families from four districts received financial assistance.

More families may receive aid

Sarma said the beneficiary list is still being prepared and around 3,000 additional families could receive assistance in the next phase.

Explaining the purpose of the payment, the Chief Minister said the government wanted affected families to have some money available when they return home after the floods.

The assistance is intended to help families manage immediate expenses and begin settling back into their homes.

Eligible beneficiaries have also received Rs 2,500 under the Orunodoi scheme, according to the Chief Minister.

Thousands of homes and cattle sheds damaged

With the immediate relief process underway, the government has now shifted its focus to a detailed assessment of flood-related damage.

A rapid survey is being conducted across affected areas with the help of 1,144 teachers.

Preliminary findings indicate that 26,681 houses and 18,887 cattle sheds have been damaged.

Officials have also recorded losses involving handloom raw materials. The assessment has so far covered around 5.98 lakh pets and domestic animals.

The evaluation of damage to agriculture and fisheries is still in progress. So far, authorities have identified 99,256 farmers who have suffered crop or other agriculture-related losses.

People will be able to challenge survey findings

The first phase of the damage survey is expected to be completed by August 28 or 29.

Once the information is compiled, details will be uploaded to a government web portal. Affected residents will be able to check the information recorded against their names.

Importantly, people will also have an opportunity to raise objections if they believe they were left out of the survey or that the reported damage does not accurately reflect their losses.

A second round of verification is scheduled to begin around September 1 or 2 and continue until approximately September 10 or 11. The revised beneficiary list is expected to be published around September 15 or 16.

Sarma said even unresolved complaints could lead to another field inspection.

“If there is a complaint for the third consecutive time, we are ready to conduct a third survey,” he said, adding that the government’s goal is to complete the assessment and provide financial assistance by October 9 or 10.

If another verification round is not required, the process could be completed by the end of September.

Damage bill could rise

The damage recorded so far on the assessment portal is estimated at around Rs 480 crore for houses and other properties.

Officials expect the figure to change as more areas are surveyed and additional losses are recorded.

The government is also considering longer-term rehabilitation for some of the worst-affected areas, particularly in Sivasagar and Charaideo.

Sarma said the state had discussed the possibility of providing houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for eligible families in the two districts.

Schools, roads and health facilities being restored

Repair and restoration work has already begun at several damaged schools, roads, naamghars and health facilities.

Health and veterinary teams are also conducting camps in flood-hit areas to provide assistance to people and animals affected by the disaster.

The government is separately processing ex-gratia payments of Rs 9 lakh to the next of kin of people who died in the floods, according to the Chief Minister.

Loan relief and insurance claims

Flood-affected borrowers are also being offered relief.

So far, 1,712 people have applied for a moratorium on their bank loans. Eligible borrowers have been asked to submit their applications by August 31.

Sarma urged eligible flood victims who have not yet applied to do so before the deadline.

Insurance claims are also being processed. The government has received 1,598 claims, of which 170 have already been settled, with payments released to the claimants.

The Chief Minister appealed to flood-affected residents with insurance coverage to contact their insurers and file claims for the losses they suffered.

Focus now on assessment and compensation

For Assam’s flood-hit families, the relief process is moving from immediate assistance toward longer-term recovery.

The government’s immediate priorities are to complete the damage assessment, give affected people a chance to challenge incorrect findings and ensure eligible families receive compensation.

With thousands of homes, livestock facilities and agricultural livelihoods affected, the final scale of the disaster—and the financial support required to rebuild—will become clearer as the remaining surveys are completed.

News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.