Orissa demands Rs 750 cr for flood relief

The state government on Thursday sought an interim financial assistance of Rs 750 crore from the Centre for immediate relief and rehabilitation activities in the twelve districts affected by the floods, even as the death toll in the recent floods touched 39.

 

Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal said that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik met Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Thursday and submitted a memorandum to the Central government seeking its financial help.

 

Preliminary estimates showed that the floods had caused a damage of over Rs 1,085 crore, he said. The state has also urged the Centre to immediately release at least 12,000 kilo litre of kerosene to be distributed among the 40 lakh flood affected people.

 

Samal said that approximately 64,000 families in 5,051 villages under 56

blocks had been severely affected in the recent floods. The minister said the government had decided to pay 50 per cent subsidy to farmers who lost their cultivation in this fifth spell of floods in the state.

 

The government will provide a subsidy of Rs 4,000 per hectare for irrigated land and Rs 2,000 per hectare for non-irrigated land.

 

However, the minister pointed out that the state government had demanded a financial assistance of Rs 300 crore from the Centre, but not received any money.

 

"The Orissa government has also invited a Central team to analyse the damages caused by the floods," Samal said.