Andhra Pradesh pays out Rs 600 crore flood compensation in record time

The Andhra Pradesh government has achieved a milestone by disbursing Rs 602 crore in flood compensation to over four lakh affected households in just 15 days.

This rapid response followed the devastating floods that struck Vijayawada and surrounding areas in September.

The floods that hit Vijayawada and nearby regions in September affected over four lakh households, leaving the area inaccessible until September 10. The government could only begin the compensation process once the water receded.

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, the Andhra Pradesh government implemented a technology-based solution to manage the flood compensation process efficiently. A handheld device with a front-end app and a back-end database was developed to streamline the enumeration and disbursement process.

Around 1,600 teams were deployed to the affected areas, completing the enumeration of affected households within just three days. Notably, the teams did not collect any bank account information during this process. Aadhaar data was gathered from the beneficiaries, which allowed the government to validate and link bank account details for each household.

On September 22, a list of proposed beneficiaries was made public to allow any corrections or complaints to be registered by the affected individuals.

By September 24, Rs 602 crore was transferred via an online gateway to the verified bank accounts of the four lakh affected households. Payments were processed instantly through the UPI portal.

The compensation amount exceeded the norms prescribed by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), showcasing Andhra Pradesh’s commitment to providing sufficient relief to flood victims.

The entire compensation process, from enumeration to payment, was completed within 15 days - making it one of the fastest disaster relief efforts in recent memory, according to the state government.

In comparison, the previous government, led by Jagan Mohan Reddy, took over five months to disburse Rs 442 crore in compensation following the Michuang cyclone, which struck in December 2023. The funds were only released in May 2024.

Special Chief Secretary (Revenue) RP Sisodia praised Chandrababu Naidu's leadership during the relief efforts, emphasizing that the fast-paced compensation process should serve as a model for future disaster management initiatives.