Immediate Financial Aid for Rain and Flood Victims
The Telangana government has taken a significant step towards providing relief to citizens affected by the recent extreme weather. On Tuesday, the state administration sanctioned an immediate relief package of ₹12.99 crore for families whose homes were damaged by the heavy rains and floods caused by Cyclone Michaung at the end of the previous month.
Direct Bank Transfers for Swift Disbursement
This financial assistance is being coordinated by Revenue (Disaster Management) Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar. Through an official government order (GO No. 66), district collectors have been instructed to ensure that ₹15,000 is disbursed to each affected family. To ensure transparency and speed, the funds will be directly credited to the beneficiaries' bank accounts, eliminating delays and potential misuse.
According to the damage reports submitted by the collectors, a total of 8,662 houses suffered partial or severe damage across 15 districts. The affected districts include Warangal, Hanumakonda, Karimnagar, Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy, Nagarkurnool, Siddipet, and Suryapet. Although the intense downpour between October 27 and 30 impacted 16 districts, the district of Bhadradri Kothagudem reported no damage to housing structures.
Comprehensive Assessment and Further Aid
Officials have clarified that this initial relief is just the first phase of assistance. A further, detailed assessment of crop losses and damage to other properties is currently in progress. Additional financial aid will be announced once the district collectors submit their comprehensive reports to both the state and central governments.
The state government has directed all collectors to complete the enumeration of all losses using a prescribed format. This is a necessary step to seek central assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms.
Earlier, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had approved several other relief measures as per SDRF guidelines. These include an ex gratia payment of ₹5 lakh to the families of those who lost their lives (₹4 lakh from SDRF and ₹1 lakh from state funds). Compensation was also cleared for loss of livestock, with ₹50,000 for the loss of milch cattle and ₹5,000 for small animals.
The relief for housing damage is structured to cover various needs. The ₹15,000 for a partially damaged house is allocated as follows:
- ₹6,500 for structural damage
- ₹2,500 for loss of clothing
- ₹2,500 for loss of utensils
- ₹3,500 for livelihood disruption
The order specifies that the relief applies only to the portions of the home that were actually damaged or inundated. To ensure the process is fair and transparent, district collectors have been told to identify beneficiaries transparently, publish the lists in public offices, and upload the verified details on the state government's official website.
Beyond individual aid, the state will also undertake the immediate temporary restoration of public infrastructure. This includes work on roads, culverts, irrigation tanks, schools, primary health centres, and anganwadis, all to be carried out under SDRF guidelines. The state has set a deadline, asking all affected districts to submit their comprehensive damage reports to the Centre within a week to expedite further support.
