Odisha seeks increase in ex-gratia for victims

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government has urged the Centre to increase the ex-gratia paid to the kin of victims of natural calamities and suggested amendments in the norms for giving assistance under State Disaster Response Fund and National Disaster Response Fund, official sources said on Friday.

Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner B P Sethi sent a letter recently to the Joint Secretary, Disaster Management, in the MHA containing the state's demands, the sources said.

Sethi urged the Centre to increase the ex-gratia in case of loss of limb or eyes to Rs one lakh per person for those with disability between 40 per cent and 60 per cent and Rs three lakh per person for those with disability of more than 60 percent, they said.

At present the a person with disability between 40 per cent and 60 per cent is given Rs 59,100 per person. For those with disbaility of more than 60 per cent, the government currently pays Rs two lakh per person. The ex-gratia is given subject to certification by a doctor from a government hospital or dispensary regarding extent and cause of disability.

The sources said Odisha has also urged for increase of ex-gratia to Rs 20,000 per person for hospitalisation for more than one week and Rs 7,000 for hospitalisation up to one week.

The existing norms of assistance allows the government to pay Rs 12,700 per person requiring hospitalisation for more than a week and Rs 4,300 per person requiring hospitalisation for less than a week.

The government pays Rs 1800 per family for loss of clothing and Rs 2000 per family for loss of utensils/ household goods lost in the calamities, they said. Sethi in his letter urged the Centre to increase the amount to Rs 5,000 to be paid together and such assistance may be extended to families whose houses are severely damaged as in many cases, household goods, clothing and utensils are burnt in fire or other disasters even if the house is not fully damaged.