Telangana government stops distribution of Rs 10K flood aid in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The government on Friday ordered the immediate stoppage of disbursal of Rs 10,000 aid to flood victims in the GHMC area. All GHMC officials who received money for distribution have been instructed to submit their accounts and hand over the rest of the cash in their possession to their zonal offices.

Since the October 19 announcement of immediate relief by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, the civic body is reported to have distributed Rs 357 crore to 3.5 lakh flood victims in the city.

The decision to stop the on-field disbursal of the amount was reportedly taken to free up the GHMC officials and staff to return to their normal assigned duties.

“There is a lot of work related to the GHMC Council polls that needs to be done. There are engineering works that need to be taken up as well as a lot of sanitation work. This will enable many of our officers and staff to resume their normal functions,” a GHMC official said.

From now on, distribution of the Rs 10,000 will be done from the GHMC headquarters. Those left out can receive the aid from the GHMC head office after due checks of the claims, the official said.

The government had promised that it would provide Rs 1 lakh in assistance to those whose homes suffered catastrophic damages and Rs 50,000 to those whose homes suffered partial damages. This part of the aid is expected to be disbursed once the revenue department conducts a survey and assesses the destruction to the homes.