Odisha govt asks collectors to assess damage due to rain

Bhubaneswar, Oct 26 (IANS) The Odisha government on Saturday asked the district collectors to assess the damages caused to private properties due to heavy rainfall during October 23-25.Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Jena asked the district collectors to submit damage assessment report by November 4 following which assistance will be released.The assistance will be made under the norms of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF)/ National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF)."The assessment of damage to private properties in different sectors such as houses, farmlands with crop loss of 33 per cent and above, sand cast of agriculture land etc and enumeration of beneficiaries have to be taken up on priority so that the assistance as per norms of SDRF can be paid to the affected person expeditiously to enable them to repair or reconstruct their houses and restore livelihood," said Jena in a letter.The state government has already declared 'heavy rain' as state specific disaster.Expenditure on relief measures and immediate repair or restoration of damaged public infrastructure will be met from the SDRF within the limit of 10 per cent of the annual allocation of the fund.The SRC said that the disbursement must be done through DBT, by way of transfer to the accounts of beneficiaries.
--IANS cd/rt