Odisha seeks increase in ex-gratia for victims of natural calamities

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government has urged the Centre to increase the ex-gratia paid to the kin of victims of natural calamities and suggested amendments in the norms for giving assistance under State Disaster Response Fund and National Disaster Response Fund, official sources said today.

Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner B P Sethi sent a letter recently to the Joint Secretary, Disaster Management, in the MHA containing the state's demands, the sources said.

Sethi urged the Centre to increase the ex-gratia in case of loss of limb or eyes to Rs one lakh per person for those with disability between 40 per cent and 60 per cent and Rs three lakh per person for those with disability of more than 60 percent, they said.

At present the a person with disability between 40 per cent and 60 per cent is given Rs 59,100 per person. For those with disbaility of more than 60 per cent, the government currently pays Rs two lakh per person.

The ex-gratia is given subject to certification by a doctor from a government hospital or dispensary regarding extent and cause of disability.

The sources said Odisha has also urged for increase of ex-gratia to Rs 20,000 per person for hospitalisation for more than one week and Rs 7,000 for hospitalisation up to one week.

The existing norms of assistance allows the government to pay Rs 12,700 per person requiring hospitalisation for more than a week and Rs 4,300 per person requiring hospitalisation for less than a week.

The government pays Rs 1800 per family for loss of clothing and Rs 2000 per family for loss of utensils/ household goods lost in the calamities, they said.

Sethi in his letter urged the Centre to increase the amount to Rs 5,000 to be paid together and such assistance may be extended to families whose houses are severely damaged as in many cases, household goods, clothing and utensils are burnt in fire or other disasters even if the house is not fully damaged.

He also urged the Centre to increase the assistance towards gratuitous relief to Rs 100 per adult from Rs 60 and Rs 75 per child below 12 years instead of Rs 45 per child not housed in relief camp.

The SRC has suggested the Centre to increase the input subsidy given in crop loss of 33 per cent and above to Rs 10,000 per hectre in case of rainfed areas from Rs 6800 now subject to a minimum assistance of Rs 2000 per farmer. He suggested Rs 20,000 per hectre from the present Rs 13500 in case of assured irrigated area subject to a minimum assistance of Rs 4000 per farmer instead of Rs 1000 now.

The input subsidy given in rainfed and assured irrigated areas should be given to small and marginal farmers subject to a ceiling of two hectres per farmer.

For loss in perennial crops it has been suggested to increase the amount to Rs 30,000 per hectre subject to a minimum assistance of Rs 5000 per farmer from the present Rs 18,000 and Rs 2000 respectively.

For sericulture the suggested to hike compensation to Rs 10,000 per hectre subject to a minimum assistance of Rs 2,000 per farmer instead of Rs 4800 per hectre for eri, mulberry and Tussar.

Sethi has also sought increase in assistance and input subsidy to the people for loss of animal husbandry, fishery, handicraft and hand loom and others.