Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an interim assistance of Rs500 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) towards damages caused in the State by cyclone Hudhud.
The letter gave an account of extensive damages to infrastructure, agriculture and houses. It also said that the State Government would be submitting a memorandum to the Centre after completion of a final estimate of the damages.
It may be mentioned that the PM, after making an aerial survey of cyclone-hit areas in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, had announced an interim announcement of Rs1,000 crore for Andhra Pradesh while making no such gesture for Odisha, thereby drawing flak from the State Congress.