Assam CM roll out Rs 15,000 interim relief for flood victims
In a major move to provide an immediate financial cushion to families devastated by recent floods in Upper Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday launched the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of Rs 15,000 as interim relief to affected households across Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, and Golaghat districts.
Launching the initiative at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Dibrugarh, Sarma also virtually released Rs 41.67 crore as state subsidy under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana for 9,289 eligible beneficiaries across the four worst-hit districts.
In the first phase of the rollout, financial assistance was directly credited to the bank accounts of 62,696 families — comprising 35,298 in Sivasagar, 19,883 in Charaideo, 4,922 in Jorhat, and 2,593 in Golaghat. The Chief Minister confirmed that remaining eligible households, taking the overall count past 75,000, will receive aid by August 5 following verification by district administration officials.
Addressing the gathering, Sarma lauded the courage and solidarity shown by local communities during the calamity. Recognising that families returning from relief camps urgently need immediate cash to rebuild their lives, purchase essential household goods, and clear flood silt, the Government decided to bypass traditional administrative delays.
“Under the conventional system, official assessment of flood damage often takes six to nine months, with compensation reaching beneficiaries nearly a year later. We intend to break this practice,” Sarma said.
He announced that field surveys for permanent flood damage will commence on August 9 or 10 and wrap up within 10 days, enabling full compensation for permanent losses to be disbursed by late August or the first week of September.
Highlighting a series of relief measures arranged in consultation with the Centre, the Chief Minister announced an enhanced compensation of Rs 9 lakh for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in Sivasagar and Charaideo districts. This ex-gratia relief comprises Rs 4 lakh provided under SDRF norms and an additional Rs 5 lakh drawn from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Furthermore, families in Sivasagar and Charaideo who remain unable to return home by August 9 due to severe flood conditions will receive additional financial assistance of Rs 10,000 on August 10.
To support community infrastructure and ease local burdens, the Government has sanctioned a grant of Rs 1.5 lakh for every damaged Namghar to be disbursed before August 7, along with an immediate grant of Rs 2.10 lakh for each flood-affected school. Residents in Sivasagar and Charaideo will also benefit from a complete waiver of electricity bills up to 300 units for July, as well as a one-year exemption on land revenue payments.
In addition, financial relief measures have been coordinated with banks to grant a six-month moratorium on loan repayments for affected individuals. Insurance companies have also agreed to streamline procedures, appointing district-level nodal officers and introducing video verification to process insurance claims with minimal documentation and issue interim payments.
Reaffirming the Union Government’s backing, Sarma noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured necessary central funds once full damage assessments are completed.
The event was attended by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta, Minister Rameswar Teli, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, along with several local legislators and senior officials.
