Odisha: State govt. issues directions to assess damage caused by rains between Oct 23-25

Special Relief Commissioner PK Jena on Saturday wrote to all Collectors in the state directing them to assess the damage to private properties due to recent heavy rainfall that occurred during October 23-25.

Collectors have been asked to submit an assessment report by November 4, following which payment will be made under the norms of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF)/National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

"The state government has already declared "Heavy Rain" as State Specific Disaster within the local context for which expenditure on relief measures and immediate repair/restoration of damaged public infrastructure shall be met from SDRF within the limit of 10 per cent of the annual allocation of the SDRF," Jena wrote.

Jena directed that the assessment of damage to private properties in different sectors such as houses, agriculture (crop loss of 33 per cent and above), agriculture land, and enumeration of beneficiaries have to be taken up on priority so that the assistance can be paid to the affected person expeditiously to enable them to repair or reconstruct their houses and restore livelihood.

He said that the disbursement must be done through direct transfer i.e., by way of transfer of the amount to the account of the beneficiaries.

( With inputs from ANI )