MHA approves Rs 3,338 crore assistance for Odisha after Cyclone Fani; Naveen Patnaik thanks Narendra Modi for help

Bhubaneswar: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the additional Central assistance of Rs 3,338.22 crore to the state for the damage caused by cyclone Fani.

In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said a high-level committee, headed by Union minister Amit Shah, has approved additional central assistance of Rs 3,338.22 crore to Odisha for the damage caused by the Cyclone Fani. The funds will be disbursed from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

File photo of Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. PTI

"Naveen Patnaik has thanked Narendra Modi for additional central assistance of Rs 3,338.22 crore for rebuilding #Odisha after #CycloneFani," the CMO Odisha said in a tweet.

Patnaik also said: "This assistance will strengthen the exchequer for restoration of infrastructure and livelihood of millions affected in the state."

The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) also thanked Shah for sanctioning the amount for assisting restoration work in the Cyclone Fani-affected districts which were ravaged by the calamity.

Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also thanked Modi and Shah for approving additional Central assistance to Odisha to fast track restoration of livelihood of people severely affected by the devastation caused by Fani which hit the state coast on 3 May, 2019.

During the prime minister's visit to the cyclone-affected areas of Odisha on 6 May, immediate assistance of Rs 1,000 crore was also given to the state. This apart, the state was given Rs 340.87 crore as assistance under SDRF ahead of the cyclone.

In addition, an ex-gratia sum of Rs 2 lakh were provided to next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to seriously injured in the cyclone from the PM's Relief Fund.

During this massive evacuation drive, more than 15.5 lakh people were evacuated. The Central government had also provided all necessary assistance in restoration of power supply and communication in affected districts, including that of providing necessary stores, gen-sets, steel poles and skilled manpower and others.

A total of 64 people were killed and 12 seriously injured in the Cyclone Fani while over 1.88 lakh hectares of crop area destroyed.

A damage loss and needs assessment (DLNA) report prepared by World Bank, Asian Development Bank and various UN agencies said the cyclone caused a total loss of Rs 24,176 crore, about 5 per cent of its Gross State Domestic Product of the state.

The report released by the chief minister also assessed that Odisha needs Rs 29,315 crore to recover the loss to its infrastructure.