Odisha receives ₹500-crore aid from Centre for restoration work

Cyclone-battered Odisha on Saturday (May 23) received ₹500 crore from the Centre as advance assistance for restoration work, less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the interim aid, a senior official said.

After conducting an aerial survey of the cyclone-hit districts of Odisha and holding a review meeting on Friday (May 22), Modi had announced ₹500 crore advance assistance for the state.

“MHA released ₹500 crore to Odisha Govt in less than 24 hours of Hon’ble PM @PMOIndia @naendramodi announcement in Bhubaneswar 4 #cycloneAmphan. We thank @PMOIndia @narendramodi & MHA for such speed in releasing the Fund,” Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena said in a tweet.

The state government also stepped up the restoration operation in 10 cyclone-affected districts in the coastal and northern regions of the state, Jena said.

Altogether, 19 units of NDRF, 12 teams of ODRAF, and 156 fire service teams have been deployed in the affected districts for clearance of supply lines, he said.

Four districts — Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur — have been severely impacted by the heavy downpour and high velocity winds triggered by cyclone Amphan, as per the preliminary damage assessment report released by the state government on Saturday.

The report said as many as 44,44,896 people have been affected in the 10 districts.

Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday thanked President Ram Nath Kovind and Modi for their support during the crisis.

“We will work together to ensure care of affected and distressed people and restoration of normalcy at the earliest,” Patnaik said in a message to Modi.