Orissa CM seeks help from centre for flood relief

Orissa CM wants help from centre figure amounting to RS 1000 Cr for flood aid 21/10/2011

Orissa latest news : Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday urged the Centre for urgent release of Rs 1000-crore ad hoc flood assistance to Odisha in advance from the National Disaster Response Fund even as the Centre provided the second installment of its share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) much early.

In his second letter in a week’s time to Union home minister P Chidambaram, Patnaik on Thursday said that the state had already incurred sizable expenditure on immediate restoration measures including provision of emergent relief to the affected people in 21 flood-hit districts.

Patnaik expressed gratitude to Chidambaram for releasing Rs 154.19 crore toward the second installment of Central share of the (SDRF) in advance.
Patnaik has also asked different departments to expedite their respective works in the flood hit areas.



The water resources department has immediately restored 234 breaches and started providing water to the agricultural fields through canals.
Similarly, it has also been decided to repair 2500 Lift Irrigation (LI) points with an allocation of Rs 9.8 crore within 45 days.

The state government has earlier allocated Rs 1,000 crore from its own fund to revive the severely affected rural bridges, washed away in back-to-back floods.

Incessant rains and massive floods in two spells have washed away several rural houses, roads and bridges in the state and have claimed nearly 80 lives. The state government has asked the Centre to provide Rs 3,265 crore to compensate the flood damage.

Samgram Kesari Panda
Correspondent
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