State seeks disaster aid hike

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has proposed the Centre to increase the ex gratia from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh to family of the deceased during times of natural disaster.

In its proposal for amendment to the existing norms of assistance from the State Disaster Response Fund and National Disaster Response Fund, the State Government has made elaborate suggestions.

Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi submitted the State’s suggestions to Union Home Ministry on Saturday. In its proposal for gratuitous relief, the State recommends that compensation for loss of limb or eyes must be revised to Rs 1 lakh for disability between 40 per cent to 60 per cent and Rs 3 lakh for more than 60 per cent. Currently, it is Rs 59,100 and Rs 2 lakh respectively.

Like it had demanded earlier, the State has also proposed that assistance to farmers having land holding upto 2 hectares (ha) be increased from Rs 12,200 to Rs 20,000 for de-siltation whereas for loss caused by landslide, avalanche and course change by river, it suggested a revision to Rs 50,000 per ha.

Input subsidy where crop loss has been more than 33 percent must be raised to Rs 10,000 in case of rain-fed and Rs 20,00 for assured irrigated areas. It is now Rs 6,800 and Rs 13,500 per ha. For perennial crops, the subsidy must be revised to Rs 30,000 with a minimum assistance of Rs 5,000 from the current level of Rs 18,000, the State said.