Cyclone Fani: Odisha gets Rs 3,338 crore from Centre

Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: The Centre on Tuesday approved an additional assistance of Rs 3,338.22 crore to Odisha which was severely affected by cyclone Fani. The High Level Committee meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved additional central assistance for rehabilitation and restoration works post cyclone Fani, which hit the State on May 3.

Apart from Odisha, the HLC has also approved additional assistance of Rs 1,029.39 crore to Karnataka for drought and Rs 64.49 crore to Himachal Pradesh for avalanches and hailstorm.

As per official sources, the additional assistance is over and above the funds released by the Centre to the States through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) already placed at the disposal of various States.

The Centre had released Rs 340.87 crore to Odisha in advance on April 29 from the SDRF.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also visited Odisha on May 6 and announced immediate assistance of Rs 1,000 crore which was also released in advance. Besides, an ex-gratia sum of Rs 2 lakh was provided to the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured in the Cyclone Fani from the PM’s Relief Fund.

Later in the day, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik thanked PM Narendra Modi for additional central assistance of Rs 333.28 crore for rebuilding the State. The assistance will strengthen the exchequer for restoration of infrastructure and livelihood of millions affected in the cyclone.

CM @Naveen_Odisha has thanked PM @narendramodi for additional central assistance of ₹3338.22Cr for rebuilding #Odisha after #CycloneFani. This assistance will strengthen exchequer for restoration of infra & livelihood of millions affected in the state. https://t.co/IYwx4WSgaj

— CMO Odisha (@CMO_Odisha) August 20, 2019

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also thanked PM Modi and High Level Committee chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah for approving additional central assistance to Odisha to fastrack restoration of livelihoods of people severely affected by the devastation left behind by cyclone Fani earlier this year.

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The additional assistance of Rs. 3338.22 Crore from National Disaster Response Fund will further energize efforts towards relief and rehabilitation of people in Odisha affected by the cyclone. The assistance is over and above the funds released by the centre earlier.

— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) August 20, 2019

#ModiGovt’s people-centric decision time and again emphasises its commitment towards the people of Odisha.
Hon. PM Shri @narendramodi’s government is committed to bring back the smiles of people which was lost in the devastation and also help Odisha stand on its feet faster.

— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) August 20, 2019