Odisha extends relief assistance of 50 kg rice, Rs 2,500 to all flood-hit families

Bhubaneswar: In continuation of the relief package announced by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to support households affected by cyclone Arnab, the Odisha government has decided to extend emergent relief assistance across all blocks of Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts.

Under this directive, every family in all blocks of these three districts will receive 50 kg of rice and Rs 2,500 in financial assistance. This was revealed by the office of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) on Wednesday.

The State government has instructed the Collectors of Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal to immediately initiate the enumeration and verification of eligible families across all blocks to ensure smooth, transparent and timely distribution.

As per the instruction, the district administrations will coordinate directly with District Civil Supplies Officers (CSOs) and the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) for the immediate requisition and lifting of rice stocks.

The financial assistance of Rs 2,500 per family will be credited primarily through direct benefit transfer (DBT) into beneficiaries’ bank accounts. In areas where banking services face disruption, authorised alternative disbursement modes will be utilized with strict maintenance of records.

To ensure accountability and rapid execution, the respective district Collectors will submit block-wise daily progress reports on both rice and cash disbursement to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) by 5 pm every day until the drive is completed.