In a bid to speed up assistance in a transparent manner post-Phailin, authorities in the worst-hit Ganjam district plan to disburse aid to the affected people online by this month-end.
“Electronic payment will not only be transparent but also fast,” official sources said here. Assistance for damage to houses, boats and nets, fish ponds, agriculture and horticulture crop loss, and loss of livestock would be paid online, the sources said.
They said Revenue Inspectors and anganwadi workers would collect bank account numbers of the affected persons. For those who do not have it, tehsildars would organise melas at the nearest bank branch to open savings accounts for them.
Two private banks will carry out the cash transfer.
“The banks have assured us that they will do the job within 48 hours of getting the account numbers of the beneficiaries,” the sources said.
Payment for house damage had commenced in tehsils where survey was over. Around Rs.30 lakh payment was made so far, said assistance Sub-Collector (emergency) Mahendra Panda.
Enumeration is nearing completion and payment will be made after approval by the district Collector. “We hope it will be completed by November-end.”
The government has provided Rs.50 crore to the district authorities on Friday for disbursement for house damages, sources said.
