GUWAHATI — In a major relief measure for flood-hit families across the state, the Assam government on Tuesday relaxed the procedural norms for claiming ex-gratia compensation and announced an additional ₹5 lakh payment for the families of those who lost their lives or went missing in the devastating deluge.
The announcement comes as the state's flood death toll mounted to 75 following seven fresh casualties reported from the Nazira revenue circle in Sivasagar district, according to the latest bulletin from the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).
Addressing the state via a Facebook Live broadcast, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma outlined the fresh policy decisions aimed at easing administrative burdens and expediting financial assistance to affected citizens.
Norms Relaxed, Ex-Gratia Hiked to ₹9 Lakh
Under existing state regulations, next of kin were required to produce a mandatory post-mortem report to claim disaster relief. Removing this bureaucratic hurdle, the Chief Minister announced that a verification certificate issued by the local Circle Officer will now suffice to process claims.
Furthermore, the government has decided to supplement the standard statutory compensation of ₹4 lakh per victim with an additional ₹5 lakh sourced directly from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF), bringing the total relief amount to ₹9 lakh per deceased person's family.
In cases involving missing persons, the state has instituted a streamlined timeline: if a body remains unrecovered after 30 days, the victim's family will be granted the full ₹9 lakh ex-gratia upon certification by the Circle Officer.
Direct Interim Assistance for Worst-Hit Districts
To provide immediate support for basic household needs, the administration has earmarked an interim monetary grant of ₹15,000 per family in the four severely impacted districts—Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, and Golaghat.
Chief Minister Sarma confirmed that following consultations with District Commissioners, approximately one lakh families have been identified for this direct bank transfer.
Additionally, beneficiaries under the state's flagship Orunudoi welfare program in these four districts will receive a double payout of ₹2,500 for the month of August, up from the regular monthly stipend of ₹1,250.
Educational Relief Payouts & Damage Assessment
Recognizing the disruption caused to students, the government announced targeted educational assistance for students residing in the worst-affected districts of Sivasagar and Charaideo:
Free Course Material: Distribution of free textbooks and school uniforms will be re-initiated.
Direct Student Grants: Higher Secondary students will receive ₹1,000, Undergraduate students will be granted ₹3,000, and Postgraduate students will receive ₹5,000 to purchase study materials.
Document Fee Waiver: All state administrative fees for issuing duplicate marksheets and educational certificates lost during the floods have been waived.
The Chief Minister noted that public donations to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund have crossed ₹26 crore within 10 days of the latest flood wave, including over ₹60 lakh contributed via micro-donations by 4,610 individual citizens.
According to official figures, 3,32,639 people currently remain affected across Assam. Charaideo remains the worst hit with 1,42,756 affected residents, followed by Sivasagar (97,074) and Jorhat (57,371). Comprehensive field assessments to evaluate structural damage to homes, livestock losses, and crop devastation will officially commence on August 3, followed by direct compensation transfers to eligible households.
