Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota has directed district authorities to complete the assessment of flood-related damage by August 14 to speed up relief, rehabilitation and livelihood restoration in the affected areas.The direction was issued during a high-level review meeting with the district administrations of Jorhat, Sivasagar, Charaideo and Golaghat. The meeting, held through video conference under the District Consultative Committee (DCC), reviewed the implementation of flood relief measures and discussed ways to improve coordination among government departments and financial institutions.District commissioners, representatives of banks, insurance companies and officials from different line departments attended the meeting to review progress on damage assessment, financial assistance and insurance claim settlement.
The Chief Secretary stressed the need for close coordination among all agencies and called for daily monitoring to ensure that relief reaches flood-affected families without unnecessary delay. He said the focus should be on providing timely support and restoring livelihoods as quickly as possible.During the meeting, officials reviewed the verification of losses in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, housing, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and other affected sectors. Ravi Kota directed officials to carry out authenticated, technology-enabled damage assessments supported by field-level verification. He instructed that the exercise be completed by August 14, while sector-wise reports should be submitted before the respective committees by August 18.To improve the implementation of relief measures, district-wise insurance nodal officers have already been appointed for Jorhat, Sivasagar, Charaideo and Golaghat. The government has also introduced dedicated review mechanisms to monitor progress regularly and resolve any issues affecting the relief process.Taking note of the difficulties faced by many flood-hit families who have lost important documents, the Chief Secretary instructed officials to simplify documentation requirements. He said alternative methods of verification should be accepted wherever original records have been damaged or destroyed in the floods.
Banks were advised to proactively reach out to affected borrowers over the next two weeks and extend relief measures such as loan moratoriums, restructuring of existing loans, fresh credit support and consumption loans to help families meet immediate financial needs.Insurance companies were also directed to set up dedicated helplines and speed up the settlement of claims in close coordination with district administrations and banking institutions. The state government said the overall objective is to ensure that relief and rehabilitation work is carried out with compassion, efficiency and accountability so that eligible beneficiaries receive timely assistance and flood-affected families are able to rebuild their homes, livelihoods and lives with dignity.
