The Centre has doubled Uttarakhand's disaster death compensation from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 8 lakh per person. The wider revisions strengthen support for injuries, homes, farms, livestock and damaged infrastructure.
Compensation for the loss of household items has also increased from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 per family. (Credits: PTI)Dehradun,Nov 11, 2026 20:59 ISTCompensation for deaths caused by disasters in Uttarakhand has been doubled from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 8 lakh per person, news agency Press Trust of India reported. The Centre has also increased financial assistance for damaged houses, injured people, farmers and livestock owners.The revised norms, effective from the 2026-27 financial year, cover assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund and the National Disaster Response Fund.
Officials told PTI that death compensation will now also cover personnel engaged in relief and rescue operations.The changes were introduced following a request from Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Dhami and state Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Minister Madan Kaushik thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the decision.Assistance for permanent disability of 40 to 60 per cent has been raised from Rs 74,000 to Rs 94,000 per person.
For disability exceeding 60 per cent, compensation has increased from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3.20 lakh. For serious injuries requiring hospitalisation for more than a week, assistance has been increased from Rs 16,000 to Rs 20,500 per person.
For hospitalisation lasting less than a week, it has risen from Rs 5,400 to Rs 7,000 per person.Financial assistance for the loss of clothing has been doubled from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 per family. Compensation for the loss of household items has also increased from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 per family.
Assistance for search and rescue operations will continue to be based on actual expenditure, including the cost of boats, helicopters and logistics. For rain-fed crops, the subsidy has increased from Rs 8,500 to Rs 11,000 per hectare, with support limited to two hectares.
The minimum assistance has risen from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500. For crops under assured irrigation, the subsidy has been raised from Rs 17,000 to Rs 22,000 per hectare for up to two hectares, while the minimum assistance has increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,600.Assistance for perennial and horticultural crops has been raised from Rs 22,500 to Rs 30,000 per hectare, with coverage capped at two hectares.
The minimum assistance has increased from Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,200. Support for sericulture, including the rearing of Eri and Mulberry silkworms, has risen from Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,800 per hectare.For permanent damage to land caused by landslides or avalanches, assistance has increased from Rs 47,000 to Rs 60,000 per hectare.
Compensation for the loss of large animals, including cows, buffaloes, camels and yaks, has risen from Rs 37,500 to Rs 50,000 per animal, subject to a maximum of three animals per family.For small animals such as sheep, goats and pigs, compensation has increased from Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,100 per animal. Assistance for poultry losses has risen from Rs 100 to Rs 130 per bird.
Financial support in the fisheries sector has also been increased for repairing boats, nets and similar equipment and for buying new boats and nets.Assistance for houses completely damaged in the plains has increased from Rs 1.20 lakh to Rs 1.60 lakh per house. In hilly and remote areas, it has risen from Rs 1.30 lakh to Rs 1.70 lakh per house.
Support has also been increased for partially damaged permanent and temporary houses, completely destroyed huts and animal sheds.The revised norms provide higher assistance to handicraft and handloom artisans for the loss of tools and raw materials. They also increase support for the immediate repair and restoration of public infrastructure damaged in disasters, including roads and bridges, drinking water systems, minor irrigation works, power infrastructure, primary and secondary schools, primary and community health centres, and panchayat and community assets.Dhami said Uttarakhand's geography made it particularly vulnerable to floods, landslides, excessive rainfall, cloudbursts and snowfall, which often damaged lives, property, agriculture, livestock, housing and public infrastructure. "With these enhanced standards, more effective financial assistance can be provided to those affected, and relief and restoration efforts will also gain momentum," he said.State Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar told PTI that the revised provisions had taken effect for the 2026-27 financial year.
He said directions would be issued to the departments and district administrations concerned to ensure that assistance reached disaster-affected people promptly, transparently and effectively.Overall, the revised norms raise compensation for deaths, injuries, disabilities and damage to homes, crops, livestock, livelihoods and public infrastructure, while retaining assistance based on actual expenditure for search and rescue operations.- Ends