Odisha Govt Approves Rs 2770 Cr Damage Assistance For Cyclone-Hit Districts

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Monday approved damage assistance to the tune of Rs 2770 crore for the cyclone-hit districts of South Odisha.

Briefing mediapersons after a state-level disaster meeting presided over by the chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi at the State Secretariat here, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi said of the Rs 2,770 crore, Rs 375 crore has been earmarked for Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada districts and Rs 102 crore released in the first phase.

The government has also approved release of money to different departments towards restoration works. According to the departmental allocation, Rs 27 crore has been sanctioned for the Energy Department, Rs 20 crore for Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare, Rs 7 crore for Water Resources, Rs 50 crore for the Works, Rs 55 crore for Rural Development and Rs 624 crore for Panchayati Raj Department.

The SRC further said that the meeting also decided to give emphasis on the four adjoining districts of Boudh, Nayagarh, Dhenkanal and Kandhamal, where extensive damage has been reported due to the subsequent flood triggered by the cyclonic storm Titli. Besides, emphasis will also be on the loss of life and property due to the landslides that took place in these four adjoining districts along with Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada, he added.