Berhampur, Nov 6: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced a special relief package for families affected by floods triggered by Cyclone Arnab in Odisha. Under the package, affected families will receive financial assistance of Rs 2,500 each along with 50 kg of rice.

For Ganjam district, the state government has sanctioned Rs 107 crore, 44 lakh and 55 thousand to provide assistance to 4,29,782 affected families.

Ganjam Collector V. Keerthi Vasan has directed all concerned officials to ensure that eligible families receive the relief assistance promptly in accordance with the prescribed rules and guidelines. He has also instructed officials to conduct joint inspections of affected agricultural fields and submit damage assessment reports without delay.

As part of the process, nodal officers appointed for Ganjam district visited several villages under Mahanadapur Panchayat in Chhatrapur block to assess the ground situation.

During the visit, the officials interacted with ration card beneficiaries and informed them about the relief package. They also verified whether beneficiaries' bank account details were correct to ensure the smooth transfer of Rs 2,500 through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The families will also receive 50 kg of rice.

The inspection team subsequently visited agricultural fields to assess crop damage caused by the floods.

Meanwhile, several farmers whose crops have been damaged urged the administrative officials to consider waiving their agricultural loans, citing the severe losses suffered due to the floods.