Guwahati, Aug 18: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday released ₹47.93 crore in interim flood assistance through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to 31,951 families affected by floods in four Upper Assam districts.
Each eligible family received ₹15,000, with the latest disbursement benefiting 22,657 families in Sivasagar, 6,028 in Charaideo, 2,324 in Jorhat and 942 in Golaghat.
With the latest release, the state government has provided a total of ₹146.26 crore to 96,842 flood-affected families.
Earlier, on August 4, the government had transferred ₹97.34 crore through DBT to 64,891 families at ₹15,000 each.
“With today’s disbursement, the process of providing interim relief is almost complete,” Sarma said.
He, however, said records relating to nearly 3,000 flood-affected families in Sivasagar were still under verification. Eligible families will receive the assistance once the verification process is completed.
The chief minister said the government was also carrying out a comprehensive assessment of flood damage, with 1,144 teachers deployed for the survey.
According to preliminary findings, 2,681 houses have been completely damaged, while around 18,887 cattle sheds, nearly 41,000 handloom assets and more than 5.98 lakh livestock have been affected across the four districts. Crop damage affecting 99,256 farmers has also been reported.
Sarma said the ongoing damage assessment was expected to be completed by the end of August. The findings will be uploaded on a dedicated portal, allowing affected people to examine the details and raise objections.
A second phase of the survey will be conducted from early September until September 10-11 to address grievances and objections, while the final list of assessed damages is expected to be published by September 15.
The government will also conduct fresh verification and surveys if additional objections are received after the second phase.
Sarma said the state aims to transfer financial assistance directly to eligible flood-affected families through DBT by November, based on information collected during rapid damage assessments. The damage reports received so far have been estimated at around ₹480 crore.
The government will also facilitate construction of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) houses for eligible flood-affected beneficiaries and undertake repairs of damaged schools, Anganwadi centres, Namghars and other public institutions.
Financial assistance of ₹9 lakh is being provided to the next of kin of those who died in the floods, while 1,712 affected people have already availed themselves of relief measures related to repayment of bank loan instalments. Applications for the loan-related benefit can be submitted until August 31.
The government has also received 1,598 insurance claims, of which 170 have already been settled.
Sarma said the state would continue providing necessary assistance to help flood-hit families in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat return to normal life.
