LUCKNOW, Nov. 7 -- Setting the stage for the 2027 Assembly elections with a major agrarian and welfare outreach, the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday overhauled its disaster relief framework after three years, doubling the financial assistance for families of those killed in natural calamities from Rs.4 lakh to Rs.8 lakh and increasing crop damage compensation by 25% to 30%. According to a state government statement, the revised relief norms under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) will benefit more than 10 lakh farmers across the state. The enhanced assistance will also cover losses suffered between April 1 and November 4, 2026, the statement said. Relief commissioner Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod said the amount of assistance provided to families of those who died in a natural disaster has been doubled. Previously, Rs 4 lakh assistance was given to the family members of the victim that has now been increased to Rs 8 lakh. Under the revised norms, compensation for crop damage in irrigated areas has been increased from Rs 17,000 to Rs 22,000 per hectare, while assistance for losses in rain-fed areas has been raised from Rs 8,500 to Rs 11,000 per hectare. Disaster affected people will get food and housing facilities for 30 days in relief camps. The new standards will be effective from financial years 2026-27 to 2030-31. Expanding the safety net for rural livelihoods, compensation for the death of large animals has been increased from Rs.40,000 to Rs.50,000 while aid for smaller livestock (goats, sheep and pigs) has risen from Rs.4,000 to Rs.5,500, it stated. The compensation amount for poultry farmers has also been increased from Rs 100 per chicken to Rs 130. The compensation for loss of animals that carry loads has been increased from Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,400. For damage to perennial crops and agroforestry, the assistance has been enhanced from Rs 22,500 to Rs 30,000 per hectare. Assistance for sericulture crops has been increased from Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,800 per hectare, and for sugarcane crops from Rs 7,500 to Rs 9,800 per hectare. Furthermore, the standards for compensation for losses due to disasters such as erosion and landslides have also been increased. To provide immediate relief to disaster-affected people, the state government has also set standards for the facilities available in relief camps. Under normal circumstances, affected families will receive assistance for food, clothing, temporary housing and other essential amenities for 30 days. While under special circumstances, this period can be extended to 60 days or as needed. For emergency drinking water arrangements, assistance has been provided for 30 days in normal circumstances and for 90 days in drought conditions. New standards have also been set for compensation for damage to houses and public institutions caused by natural disasters. A provision of Rs.1.85 lakh has been made for a fully damaged pucca house in the plains and Rs.2.06 lakh in hilly areas. A provision of Rs.93,000 for partial damage to a pucca house in the plains and Rs.1.03 lakh in hilly areas will be provided. Under the revised provisions, assistance of up to Rs 15.50 lakh will be available for repairs to primary schools, while secondary schools, intermediate colleges and polytechnics will be eligible for assistance of Rs 26 lakh. Damage caused by fire, explosion or accident in industrial and commercial establishments is excluded from this assistance. The state government has also emphasised on transparency in the delivery of assistance to disaster-affected families and farmers. Assistance funds will be sent directly to individual beneficiaries' bank accounts through mandatory DBT. To ensure transparency in the distribution of aid and ensure that the actual affected receive the benefits, the list of beneficiaries and their eligibility criteria will be made public. The relief commissioner said between April 1 and November 26, approximately 5.214 million hectares of crops belonging to 1,002,684 farmers in the state were damaged. Assistance is being provided to farmers as per established standards. To ensure timely compensation for disaster-affected farmers, the DMs have been directed to submit crop damage report. All district magistrates have been instructed to provide details of losses incurred between April 1 and November 4, he added....