Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday, November 2, 2026, announced a special relief package of 50kg of rice and ₹2,500 in cash for every family affected by the rain and flooding that followed Cyclone Arnab in the southern districts of the state. Losses to crops and property will also be compensated.

Majhi made the announcement after reviewing the flood situation across the state in the evening. He said people in several districts were affected, and he named Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal as areas that were especially hit by the cyclone and the heavy rainfall that came after it.

The Chief Minister said assessment of the damage was still underway, while the immediate priorities were relief distribution and restoration. “Thousands of acres of crops and several houses have been damaged,” he told reporters.

Cash and rice for every affected family

Under the package, all affected families will receive 50kg of rice and ₹2,500 in cash. The government is treating this as the first layer of support for households that lost their food stocks, income and daily routines in the storm and floods.

Majhi also set out a detailed compensation schedule for farmers. Small and marginal farmers who suffered crop loss of 33% and above will get an agricultural input subsidy of ₹8,500 per hectare in rain-fed and non-irrigated areas. In areas under assured irrigation, the subsidy rises to ₹17,000 per hectare.

Perennial crops receive separate support. Assistance for mango and cashew orchards will be ₹22,500 per hectare. Any affected farmer growing perennial crops will get a minimum input subsidy of ₹2,500, while the minimum for non-irrigated areas will be ₹1,000.

The state will also give ₹18,000 to each affected farmer to remove sand and silt from fields that were buried or damaged by flood water. In addition, 1.75 lakh mini kits will be distributed to farmers free of cost.

Housing, shops and small businesses

For homes, fully damaged houses in the plains will receive ₹1.20 lakh, while fully damaged houses in hilly areas will get ₹1.30 lakh. Partially damaged pucca houses will receive ₹6,500, and partially damaged kutcha houses will get ₹4,000.

Businesses are covered too. Majhi said the government has decided to pay ₹10,000 to affected small shops, street vendors and kiosks. Big shops and commercial establishments will receive ₹25,000 each.

For the handicrafts and handloom sector, every affected artisan will get ₹5,000 to replace damaged equipment. Another ₹5,000 per artisan will go toward losses of raw material, goods in process and finished goods.

Support for fisherfolk and fish farmers

Fishing communities have their own package. Affected fisherfolk will receive ₹22,500 for boat purchase and ₹15,000 for fishing nets. Fish farmers will get financial assistance of up to 75 per cent at a rate of ₹1.12 lakh per hectare, Majhi said.

Taken together, the measures cover the people who work the land, the sea, the rivers and the workshops, not only those whose houses collapsed. That breadth is the core of what the government is trying to show with this announcement.

The Andhra Pradesh connection

The relief effort is unfolding under a second threat. Majhi said another cyclonic storm is expected to hit the coasts of Andhra Pradesh. Because of that, the relief package will be reviewed again after authorities assess the damage once that weather system has passed. For families in coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha alike, the message is that the aid figures are not fixed. They will move with the damage counts.

Rescue work continues alongside relief

Separately, a search is underway for 12 people missing in a landslide-hit village in southern Odisha. Relief distribution and rescue operations are running at the same time, which is stretching the administration in the affected districts.

Majhi said he was hopeful about the days ahead.

“I am hopeful that normalcy will return in affected areas in the next one or two days as the administration is taking all necessary measures,” he said.

What happens next

The coming days will show how quickly cash, rice and input kits reach the families and farmers named in the package. The government has committed to revising the figures once damage assessments are complete, which means the final numbers could change. For now, the announcement gives affected households a clear list of what they are owed, and a timeline for when they can expect it.