Centre grants Rs 128 crore more Amphan assistance to Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: The Centre on Friday approved additional assistance of Rs 128.23 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for Odisha which was affected by cyclone Amphan in May, 2020.

A high level committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved the sanction of additional Central assistance of Rs 4,381.88 crore to Odisha and five other states which were affected by cyclone, floods and landslides this year. West Bengal, where cyclone Amphan had made landfall, will get Rs 2,707.77 crore.

On May 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a financial assistance of Rs 500 crore for Odisha to deal with the post-cyclone situation after making an aerial survey of Bhadrak and Balasore districts to assess the impact of the cyclone.

Modi had reviewed the situation at a high level meeting in which Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Chandra Sarangi and senior officials were present.

The Prime Minister had also announced that further assistance will be provided for long-term rehabilitation measures after getting a detailed report from the State government. 

The cyclone had brushed past the Odisha coast and made landfall in neighbouring West Bengal. However, heavy rainfall triggered by the cyclone had caused extensive damage to roads, electricity and other infrastructure in the State.

According to assessment made by the government, about 44.8 lakh people of 1,500 panchayats under 89 blocks of the coastal districts were affected due to the very severe cyclone.

Besides, crops were damaged in over one lakh hectare while large number of kutcha houses were swept away. Pradhan thanked the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister for sanction of the additional financial assistance to Odisha for post-cyclone reconstruction works.