Ahead of central team visit, Bihar CM transfers ₹579 crore in flood relief

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) transferred ₹579.23 crore in relief to 8,27,472 flood-affected families, a day ahead of a central team’s visit to assess damage in the State.

As per Disaster Management Department (DMD), around 50 lakh people and crops spread in 55,000 hectares of land across 15 districts have been affected by the floods.

A team led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is scheduled to visit Bihar on September 16.

Mr. Choudhary transferred ₹7,000 per family, via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the bank accounts of flood-affected families during an event held at the ‘Sankalp’ auditorium in Patna.

Santosh Kumar Mall, Principal Secretary of the Disaster Management Department (DMD), gave a detailed presentation to the Chief Minister regarding the flood-affected areas, relief and rescue operations, and the facilities being provided to the affected people.

People move on a boat as they arrive to receive relief aid in an inundated area following the rise of water level of the Kosi River, at Rupauli, in Purnia district, Bihar. File
| Photo Credit:
PTI

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Choudhary said that amidst the challenging flood situation, the State government’s top priority is to provide immediate relief, assistance, and security to the affected families.

He asserted that the government stands with flood-affected people with utmost sensitivity and will not permit any shortcomings in relief and rescue operations. “Over 1,200 community kitchens are operating to provide food to flood-affected people, and approximately 1.28 crore meals have been served through these kitchens so far,” Mr. Choudhary said.

Further, he instructed officials to continue providing food, drinking water, medicines, and other essential amenities to people in the affected areas. Twenty-one teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are engaged in rescue operations

The CM emphasised transparency in the process of identifying and verifying eligible beneficiaries and instructed that if any eligible affected family has been left out of the assistance scheme, they must be included in the relief list within a week. He also said that no eligible family should be deprived of government relief. He directed that the reconstruction work should proceed rapidly alongside relief operations, following the theme of “Build Back Better Than Before.”

“All reconstruction and recovery tasks—including the provision of agricultural subsidies and road repairs, as well as all necessary assistance to affected families and farmers—must be completed within one month,”Mr. Choudhary said.

He further instructed officials to prepare a comprehensive and factual report on the flood damage ahead of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s scheduled visit. “The state government’s objective is not merely to provide immediate relief but also to restore normalcy in the flood-affected areas quickly and ensure reconstruction that results in a better situation than before. The government, administration, disaster management machinery, and all concerned departments are working in a coordinated manner towards this goal,” he added.