Thiruvananthapuram: The state government will provide Rs 4 lakh to those who have lost their houses during the floods but have their own land. The assistance is for families whose houses had been fully destroyed or had suffered more than 75 per cent damages.

An order to this effect issued on Monday has asked district collectors to identify the beneficiaries and begin disbursal of funds. The local bodies have already done a preliminary stock-taking exercise. The order, however, is silent on the assistance to those who had lost their houses but are also landless. Earlier, the chief minister had promised Rs 10 lakh to such families, Rs 6 lakh for buying new land and Rs 4 lakh for constructing the house.

Those seeking the house re-construction benefit should submit a special application to the concerned district collector. “The beneficiary will have to bear the additional costs if the reconstruction of the house costs more than Rs 4 lakh,” the order stated. The assistance will be granted in two instalments.

The official estimate is that 16,661 houses were fully destroyed, and 2.21 lakh houses partially damaged.

The order was issued soon after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a review of post-floods situation in the capital on Monday. Chief Secretary Tom Jose briefed the chief minister about the relief activities. He said that 66 relief camps, lodging 1,848 people, continue to function in various parts of the state. The initial relief of Rs 10,000 has been distributed to 5.98 lakh people. Nearly half are yet to be paid. The government had promised that all those who had shifted to relief camps would get the assistance. According to official estimates nearly 10 lakh people had taken refuge in nearly 4,000 camps in the state in the wake of the floods.

As for the loan scheme announced for house utensils, the chief secretary said that 1.42 lakh people have applied. The amount will be sanctioned through Kudumbashree. He said that 11,618 applications were submitted to the banks. Of this, 7,625 applications have been passed. By now the banks have sanctioned Rs 60.81 crore, of which the largest contribution was sanctioned by cooperative banks.

It is also estimated that over 3,600 milch cows were killed during the floods. The government has offered Rs 33,000 for each dead cow. The beneficiary will have to bear the additional amount required. It was also said that 114 anganwadis were destroyed, the rebuilding of which will cost Rs 90 crore. 35 police stations were also fully destroyed in the floods. In fact, 143 buildings of the Police Department were also partially damaged.

The chief secretary also informed the review meeting that the chief minister's disaster relief fund has by now received Rs 1,740 crore.