The Narendra Modi-led NDA Government at the Centre has released an estimated Rs 400 crore as additional assistance to Odisha to compensate damages caused due to cyclone Phailin in 11 districts in October 2013. BJP State president KV Singh Deo congratulated the Central Government for the assistance.
Singh Deo said after the NDA Government came to power a delegation of BJP State leaders under his leadership had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnanth Singh and urged them to consider additional Central assistance for Phailin affected areas as the assistance to the tune of Rs 934.61 crore released earlier by the UPA Government was not adequate to undertake the rehabilitation and reconstruction work.
After due review, the Home Ministry has released additional assistance of Rs 292.77 crore as per the norms of the National Disaster Relief Fund and State Disaster Relief Fund. Besides, Center also released Rs 107.6 crore towards the Agriculture Input subsidy, he said.
After the loss assessment, the State Government had, in two separate memorandums to the Centre, demanded Rs 5,832.50 crore for assistance from the NDRF. However, the State has received Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 750 from NDRF and Rs 250 crore from SDRF). Around two crore people of 16,487 villages belonging to 2,015 gram panchayats under 148 blocks and 43 urban bodies in 17 blocks were affected due to the cyclone and subsequent floods in 17 districts.
As many as 28 persons were killed, seven of them due to floods, while 3.76 lakh houses were reported to be either fully or partially damaged in both the disasters, he said.
Ganjam district was the worst affected in the disaster. Other districts which were affected include Puri, Baleswar, Bhadrakh, Balangir, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kandhamal and Mayurbhanj