The Hindu : National : Rs. 500 crore interim aid for Orissa

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Rs. 500 crore interim aid for Orissa

Prafulla Das

— PHOTO: PTI

An old man finding his way in the flood waters at Bentkar Bazar of Bayalish Mouza in Cuttack district in Orissa on Monday.

BHUBANESWAR: There was some good news for the thousands awaiting relief in the flood-hit Orissa on Tuesday — Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil announced an interim assistance of Rs. 500 crore for relief work.

Mr. Patil, who arrived here in the afternoon, made an aerial survey of the flood ravaged districts accompanied by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister of State for Rural Development Chandra Sekhar Sahu and others.

On his return, he attended a meeting at the State Secretariat and was briefed on the damage caused by the floods in the Mahanadi and various other rivers.

The flood was of a severe nature, Mr. Patil told journalists.

It had caused extensive damage and the Centre would provide all possible assistance to the State government without any political considerations.

The State government submitted a memorandum to the Home Minister seeking financial assistance of Rs. 2,454 crore for relief and restoration.

The government had earlier sought an interim assistance of Rs. 1500 crore.

The administration was still finding it difficult to reach out to the lakhs of people who were still waiting for food and polythene sheets. Although floodwaters had started receding in many areas, they were still flowing through the breaches on roads and river embankments making it difficult for the administration to provide relief to the affected people in all areas.

The floods had caused more than 1000 breaches.

Although relief operations were intensified during the day with the help of the Navy personnel and para-military forces, the situation remained unchanged in many marooned villages in Cuttack, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, and Kendrapara districts.

Airdropping of food packets continued in the worst-hit pockets.

The death toll in the floods that has affected 40 lakh people in 18 districts increased to 35 on Tuesday.

While over four lakh hectares of crop area was damaged, 10 lakh head of cattle were affected, the government said.

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