By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR:After a high-level review of the situation, relief and recovery work following Cyclone ‘Arnav’, Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi has announced a comprehensive assistance package for the rehabilitation of affected farmers, traders, fishermen and the common people and for restoring normal life.
Affected families will be provided with 50 kilograms of rice and Rs. 2,500 as assistance.
Farmers with crop loss of 33% or more will be provided input subsidy of ₹8,500 for non-irrigated land up to a maximum of 2 hectares, ₹17,000 for irrigated land and ₹22,500 for perennial crops.
Minimum input support of ₹2,500 for perennial crops, ₹2,000 for irrigated areas and minimum ₹1,000 for non-irrigated areas will be provided.
Farmers will be provided with a minimum of ₹2,200 per hectare along with assistance of ₹18,000 per hectare for removing sand or clay from the land.
A total of 1,75,000 special mini-kits (1,20,000 pulses, 5,000 oilseeds, and 50,000 vegetables) will be provided free of cost to the affected farmers.
2,000 hectares of sugarcane cultivation in the affected areas will receive assistance of ₹27,500 per hectare for space transplanting method or ₹12,500 per hectare for ratoon crop management.
Farmers will be provided with a 75% subsidy on pesticides and bio-pesticides during the Rabi season 2026-27.
In areas where 33% or more of the crop has been lost, short-term Kharif loans of willing farmers will be converted into medium-term loans, and Giant Liability Groups will be formed for sharecroppers and landless farmers.
For completely damaged houses, financial assistance of ₹1,20,000 will be provided in plain areas and ₹1,30,000 in hilly areas.
Assistance of ₹6,500 will be provided for partially damaged pucca houses, ₹4,000 for partially damaged kutcha houses, ₹8,000 for cottages and ₹3,000 for shacks.
Families whose houses are completely destroyed, have been swept away, or have been submerged for more than 2 days will be provided with ₹2,500 for clothing and ₹2,500 for household items.
Compensation of ₹37,500 will be provided for the death of dairy cows and buffaloes, ₹4,000 for sheep, goats and pigs, and ₹100 per chicken (maximum ₹10,000).
Assistance of ₹32,000 will be provided for large pack animals and ₹20,000 for small pack animals.
1,000 farmers will receive a subsidy to provide goats or bulls, 5,000 dairy farmers will receive a maximum of 500 kg of cow fodder at the rate of 100 kg per animal, and 200 poultry farms that have suffered more than 70% damage will receive recovery assistance under the Chief Minister’s Agriculture Enterprise Scheme.
Affected fish farmers will be provided with up to 75% assistance at the rate of ₹1,12,500 per hectare, along with ₹22,500 for damaged boats and ₹15,000 for nets.
Marine and coastal fishermen will receive assistance of ₹60,000 for damaged boats and ₹15,000 for nets.
Fish farmers and women SHG community ponds whose pond dams have been breached will receive a maximum assistance of ₹1,75,000 per hectare.
Loans of up to ₹12 lakh will be provided to affected MSMEs, traders and shopkeepers along with a maximum government subsidy of ₹3 lakh (25%) directly to the bank.
₹10,000 will be provided for mobile shops, temporary stalls or kiosks and ₹25,000 for shops and commercial establishments.
Additional seed money of ₹5,000 will be provided to all eligible women self-help groups affected by the cyclone.
Weavers and artisans will be given assistance of ₹5,000 per person for replacement of equipment and ₹5,000 for consumables.
Farmers of eri, mulberry and tussar silk will receive ₹6,000 per hectare, farmers of muga will receive ₹7,500, and fully affected livestock farms will receive ₹1,75,000 in assistance.
Chief Minister’s instructions to immediately repair and make operational the Odisha Upland Irrigation Points in all affected villages before the Rabi season.
Central Inter-Ministerial Committee to visit Odisha on November 2 to assess damage
In view of the possibility of the upcoming cyclone ‘Murasu’, the deployed team has been instructed to remain alert and not leave the area.
