The State government will provide relief to the kin of victims of lightning, sea erosion, and gale from the special allocation of the Union government for natural calamities, Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash has said.
Mr. Prakash said on Thursday that the Centre had given the go-ahead for expending 10 per cent of the special allocation to the State Disaster Management Authority for providing relief to the families of victims of lightning, sea erosion, windstorm, and such other disasters. Lightning strikes claimed about 70 lives a year, and this was one of the persistent demands of the State government.
Following a 10 per cent hike in the 14t{+h}Union Finance Commission award to the State, the relief for fatalities owing to natural calamities would be increased from Rs.2 lakh to Rs.4 lakh. The relief for those who sustained 60 per cent physical disability owing to natural calamities would be enhanced from Rs.62,000 to Rs.2 lakh. The crop loss for paddy per hectare would go up from Rs.4,500 to Rs.6,800 and for rubber, coconut, areca nut, and others from Rs.12,000 to Rs.18,000 per hectare.
Crop loss
The relief for those suffering crop loss owing to landslips, alteration in the course of rivers, and such others would be increased from Rs.25,000 to Rs.35,000 per hectare. The compensations for death of cattlehead and their calf, which were fixed at Rs.16,400 and Rs.10,000 respectively, would be revised to Rs.30,000 and Rs.16,000, respectively.
The compensation for the death of poultry would be enhanced from Rs.37 to Rs.50. The maximum that could be given to a farmer would be raised from Rs.400 to Rs.5,000.
The relief for damage to tools to artisans in handicrafts trade would be increased from Rs.3,000 to Rs.4,100. Houses which suffered damage would get Rs.5,200, instead of the present Rs.3,800. A sum of Rs.1.5 lakh had been allotted to provide drinking water to the victims of natural disasters.
Damage to houses
The financial aid for those losing houses in the hilly areas would be revised from Rs.75,000 to Rs.1,01,500, and for those in flat terrain from Rs.70,000 to Rs.95,000. The maximum assistance for totally dilapidated houses, with a contribution from the State government, would be pegged at Rs.2 lakh per house, he said.
Relief for fatalities hiked to Rs.4 lakh from Rs. 2 lakh
State has been demanding relief for lightning strikes
