Flood-affected victims of Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara, were last Thursday given their final payment by the government after the Assistance Assessment Committee which was appointed to determine their losses submitted its report.

Head of the committee, Pulandar Kandhi, Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Local Government, said the team distributed 90 cheques ranging from $30,000 to $100,000 to residents whose claims were $30,000 and above, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported on Friday.

Kandhi informed that claimants were mainly farmers while some residents have submitted late claims which will be considered.

A few attempted to capitalise on the exercise but were given assistance based upon the committee's recommendations.

GINA further noted that one individual's claim could not have been assessed by the committee because the claimant applied for assistance for structural damage which could not have been looked at since there was no engineer on the committee.

The committee concluded its work in the area within two weeks and submitted a report, including recommendations on the assistance to be given, to cabinet. It was approved on November 27 and the committee commenced its first distribution of 480 cheques to residents who made claims below $30,000, totalling $6.1 million.

In its report the committee recommended that $13.2 million be distributed as assistance to the affected families. The final distribution on Thursday was made from the remaining sum, according to Kandhi.

The Ministry of Finance had allocated $15 million for relief to the residents when the East Demerara Conservancy Dam at Cane Grove was breached on November 3, flooding residential and agricultural lands. Government had also given $5 million in emergency relief, including food hampers and cleaning detergents.

The breach has since been sealed and the local government ministry has set aside $5 million to rebuild the roads that were damaged during the flood, GINA added.