Bhubaneswar, November 1: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday announced a comprehensive relief and rehabilitation package for families affected by Cyclone Arnab, providing immediate relief as well as assistance for agriculture, housing, livestock, fisheries, businesses and other affected sectors.

The announcement followed a high-level review meeting held at the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), where the Chief Minister assessed relief operations, rehabilitation, reconstruction and damage assessment.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department Dr Aravind Padhee and SRC Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, among other senior officials, attended the meeting.

Speaking to the media, Majhi said he was regularly coordinating with the Central Government over the cyclone's impact and the State's response. He also discussed the situation with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

A Central Inter-Ministerial Committee will visit Odisha on November 2 to assess the damage, particularly in the worst-affected districts of Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal.

The Chief Minister assured that the State Government would extend necessary assistance to every affected family. He also directed officials to remain alert as another cyclone, 'Muras', is likely to approach while the impact of Cyclone Arnab is yet to completely subside. All relief and monitoring teams will continue to remain deployed in their respective areas.

Key components of the relief package

1. Immediate relief to families

Every affected family will receive 50 kg of rice and ₹2,500 in cash as gratuitous relief.

2. Assistance to farmers

Farmers suffering crop losses of 33 per cent or more will receive input subsidies for up to two hectares. The assistance will be ₹8,500 per hectare for non-irrigated land, ₹17,000 for irrigated land and ₹22,500 for perennial crops, subject to prescribed minimum assistance.

Farmers will also receive ₹18,000 per hectare for removing sand or silt deposited on agricultural land, subject to a minimum assistance of ₹2,200.

The government will distribute 1.75 lakh special seed mini-kits, including 1.20 lakh pulse kits, 5,000 oilseed kits and 50,000 vegetable seed kits.

Special assistance will be extended to sugarcane cultivation over 2,000 hectares. Farmers will receive ₹27,500 per hectare for demonstrating the spaced transplanting method or ₹12,500 per hectare for ratoon crop management. A 75 per cent subsidy on pesticides and bio-pesticides will also be provided during the 2026-27 Rabi season.

3. Agricultural loan relief

In areas where crop losses are 33 per cent or more, short-term Kharif crop loans will be converted into medium-term loans for eligible farmers opting for the facility.

Joint Liability Groups will also be formed during the Rabi season to provide credit facilities to sharecroppers, landless farmers and cultivators farming under oral agreements.

4. Housing assistance

Families whose houses have been completely or severely damaged will receive ₹1.20 lakh in plain areas and ₹1.30 lakh in hilly areas.

Compensation for partially damaged houses will be ₹6,500 for pucca houses, ₹4,000 for kutcha houses, ₹8,000 for damaged huts and ₹3,000 for damaged cattle sheds.

Families whose houses have been washed away, completely destroyed or remained submerged for more than two days will receive an additional ₹2,500 for clothing and ₹2,500 for household utensils.

5. Livestock compensation

Compensation for livestock losses will include ₹37,500 for each milch cow or buffalo, ₹4,000 for sheep, goats and pigs, ₹32,000 for large draught animals and ₹20,000 for small draught animals. Poultry owners will receive ₹100 per bird, subject to a maximum of ₹10,000.

Subsidies will help 1,000 farmers purchase goats, bullocks and other livestock. Cattle feed will also be supplied to 5,000 dairy farmers at 100 kg per animal, subject to a maximum of 500 kg.

Assistance will be provided for restoring 200 poultry farms that have suffered more than 70 per cent damage under the Chief Minister's Agriculture Enterprise Scheme.

6. Fisheries sector support

Fish farmers will receive assistance of up to 75 per cent of the eligible amount, calculated at ₹1.12 lakh per hectare.

For inland fishermen, assistance will include ₹22,500 for damaged boats and ₹15,000 for fishing nets. Marine and Chilika fishermen will receive ₹60,000 for fully or partially damaged boats and ₹15,000 for damaged nets.

Assistance will also be extended to fish farmers whose pond embankments have been breached or whose ponds have suffered soil erosion. Community ponds leased by women's self-help groups will be eligible for assistance of up to ₹1.75 lakh per hectare.

7. Assistance to MSMEs and traders

Cyclone-affected MSMEs, traders, shopkeepers, street vendors and other commercial establishments will receive financial support based on an assessment of damage to business premises, machinery, stock and other assets.

Eligible MSMEs, traders and shopkeepers can avail themselves of loans of up to ₹12 lakh, with a 25 per cent subsidy capped at ₹3 lakh. The subsidy will be transferred directly to the respective banks by the State Government.

Street vendors, temporary stalls and kiosks will receive ₹10,000, while shops and commercial establishments will get ₹25,000.

8. Women's self-help groups

Eligible women's self-help groups affected by the cyclone will receive an additional seed money grant of ₹5,000.

9. Handloom and handicrafts sector

Affected weavers and artisans will receive ₹5,000 each to replace damaged machinery and equipment, along with another ₹5,000 towards losses of raw materials and other materials.

10. Sericulture sector

Sericulture farmers cultivating Eri, Mulberry and Tussar silk will receive input assistance of ₹6,000 per hectare, while Muga silk farmers will get ₹7,500 per hectare.

Farmers whose rearing houses have been completely damaged will receive ₹1.75 lakh each.

11. Restoration of lift irrigation projects

The Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation will immediately undertake repairs of lift irrigation points in affected villages on a priority basis.

The Chief Minister has directed officials to ensure that all damaged lift irrigation points are restored and made operational before the beginning of the Rabi season. He also instructed the authorities to expedite the repair work.

The Chief Minister said the government would closely monitor the relief and restoration measures to ensure timely assistance to all cyclone-affected people.