Cyclone Yaas: PM Modi announces Rs 500 crore aid for Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced Rs 500 crore cyclone relief for Odisha and appreciated the state’s disaster preparedness resulting in minimal loss of life. Modi also announced Rs 500 crore relief for West Bengal and Jharkhand.
Modi announced the package after chairing a review meeting here with chief minister Naveen Patnaik followed by an aerial survey of Balasore and Bhadrak districts in Odisha besides Purba Medinipur in West Bengal.
“Took stock of the damage caused by Cyclone Yaas. Undertook an aerial survey across parts of Odisha and West Bengal. The entire nation stands in solidarity with those affected by the cyclone,” the PM tweeted.
While Rs 500 crore would be immediately given to Odisha, another Rs 500 crore announced for West Bengal and Jharkhand will be released based on the damage submitted by the two states, a government release said.
The Union will deploy an inter-ministerial team to visit the affected states to assess the extent of damage, based on which further assistance will be given.
The PM also announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for the next of kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured due to Cyclone Yaas. The PM was briefed that Odisha suffered the maximum damage due to Yaas though the actual estimate would take around a week.
Pointing out that the frequency and impact of cyclonic systems are increasing in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, Modi said communication systems, mitigation efforts and preparedness have to undergo a major change. He also spoke about the importance of building trust among people for better cooperation in relief efforts.
Modi appreciated the preparedness and disaster management activities by Odisha which has resulted in minimal loss of lives. He also noted that the state has embarked on long term mitigation efforts for dealing with future natural disasters. Disaster mitigation has been given emphasis by the Finance Commission too by provisioning Rs 30,000 crore mitigation funds, he said.
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was also president in the review meeting, tweeted, “Modi Govt yet again stands shoulder to shoulder with the people of Odisha & West Bengal. Gratitude to PM Shri @narendramodi ji for providing financial assistance of Rs 1000 crore, including Rs 500 crore to Odisha for extending immediate relief to people affected by #CycloneYaas.”
Odisha’s special relief commissioner Pradeep Jena, who made a presentation on behalf of the state, said Odisha will return to the Centre with a complete damage assessment report within a week. Jena said the state highlighted that it would on cyclone resilient infrastructure for a long-term solution.