The Odisha Government has urged the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to release a second instalment of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) immediately to undertake relief and restoration activities.
Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi wrote a letter to Union Home Affairs Secretary Rajiv Gauba in this regard on Thursday.
Padhi stated that the State faced the ravage of the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘Titli’ and associated floods as well as landslide during October 11 to 13.
The State Government has taken prompt measures for relief and rescue operations as well as repair and restoration of the damaged infrastructures out of the funds available in the SDRF by adhering to the norms of expenditure out of the State Disaster Response Fund and the National Disaster Response Fund prescribed by the Government of India.
In the meantime, the State Government has submitted a preliminary memorandum
to the Union Government seeking Rs 2,014.09 crore of Central assistance, informed Padhi.
He said that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an interim relief of Rs 1,000 crore to undertake the relief measures.
Meanwhile, the funds available in the SDRF have almost been exhausted for undertaking further relief and restoration works.
Crop assessment is under process to provide agriculture input subsidy to the farmers having crop loss of 33 per cent and more due to the cyclone followed by floods.
That, apart, house building assistance is also to be provided to the people whose dwellings have been damaged, pointed out Padhi.
Therefore, looking into the pressing need for funds, the Chief Secretary has urged the Centre for releasing a second instalment of the SDRF amounting to Rs 389.25 crore in advance which would help the State Government undertake relief and restoration works, said he.