Online payment of cyclone assistance

Berhampur: In a bid to speed up assistance in a transparent manner post-Cyclone Phailin, authorities in the worst hit Ganjam district 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. Assistances for house damage, agriculture and horticulture crop loss, boat and nets, fish ponds and loss of animal husbandry would be paid online, the sources said. They said revenue inspectors and anganwadi workers will collect bank account numbers of victims. For those who do not have it, tehsildars will hold melas in 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 beneficiaries," the sources said. Payment for house damage due to the cyclone has started in tehsils where survey is over. Around Rs 30 lakh payment was made so far, said assistance sub-collector (emergency) Mahendra Panda. The enumeration is nearing completion and the payment would 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 of house damages, sources said. According to guidelines of special relief commissioner, Rs 70,000 and Rs 15,000 has been paid for pucca and kuccha houses, respectively.