Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has extended emergency relief assistance to families affected by Cyclone Arnab across all blocks of Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts as part of the continuing relief package announced by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
Under the latest decision, every eligible family in all blocks of these three districts will receive 50 kg of rice along with Rs. 2,500 in financial assistance.
The government has directed the District Collectors of Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal to begin identifying and verifying eligible families across their respective blocks immediately, ensuring relief reaches beneficiaries smoothly, transparently and without delay.
To facilitate the distribution of food grains, the district administrations will coordinate with the District Civil Supplies Officers and the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation for the immediate requisition and lifting of rice stocks.
The financial assistance of Rs. 2,500 per family will primarily be transferred directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer system. However, in areas where banking services have been disrupted, authorised alternative methods of disbursement will be adopted, with proper records maintained to ensure accountability.
The government has also put in place a daily monitoring mechanism to track the implementation of the relief programme. The respective District Collectors have been instructed to submit block-wise progress reports covering both rice distribution and cash disbursement to the State Emergency Operation Centre by 5 pm every day until the relief distribution drive is completed.
The latest directive, issued by the Special Relief Commissioner, aims to ensure the timely delivery of food grains and financial assistance to cyclone-affected households across the three districts.
