Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the high-level committee, which recommended an assistance of Rs 460.38 crore for reconstruction of the areas devastated by Cyclone Phailin last year, to reconsider the matter and sanction the State’s demand for Rs 5,832.50 crore.
Patnaik, in a letter to Modi, said many important aspects have been ignored by committee including gratuitous relief, temporary shelter provided to the people and agriculture input subsidy to affected farmers.
He said that when his Government submitted the memorandum, a quick assessment had been made regarding the requirement of funds under different heads. “However after a final assessment, the actual amount as per the norms of assistance from SDRF/NDRF have been communicated to the Ministry of Home Affairs on 10 June, which may be treated as the supplementary memorandum,” said he.
While the Government incurred an expenditure of Rs 377.431 crore in providing food to a huge number of people, the committee approved only an amount of Rs 32 crore.
The State has also incurred an expenditure of Rs 469.79 crore towards payment of agriculture input subsidy to farmers. Against this requirement, the committee has approved only Rs 248.47 crore.
Besides, the State procured 4,196 MT of temporary shelter materials at a cost of Rs 60.04 crore and provided them to the families whose houses were damaged due to the Phailin and floods, but no amount has been approved by the committee towards this expenditure, the CM pointed out.