Flood damage in Orissa extensive: Central team

Bhubaneswar, Oct 27 (UNI) The nine-member central team, which visited the five worst flood hit districts during their three-day stay in Orissa, today admitted of heavy damages caused by the floods.

The team, headed by Joint Secretary Home (NE) Naveen Verma, had arrived here on October 25 and visited Jajpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts to assess the damages.

After discussing the issue with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Chief Secretary Ajit Tripathy at the state secretariat here, Mr Verma told newsmen here that the relief distribution by the state government was satisfactory.

He said the team would submit its report to the Centre within a week.

Official sources said during the discussion with the Chief Minister the team agreed to the state government's request to recommend the union government to provide Rs 75 crore from the Central Calamity Relief Fund for construction of additional 30,900 houses under the Indira Awas Yojana in the five flood hit districts.

The team also agreed to recommend to provide jobs for 200 days under NREGS per year instead of 100 days in the affected districts and to release the pending CRF immediately.

About the release of Rs 306 crore central assistance sought by the state government for the first phase of flood in July, Mr Verma quipped '' you will soon hear good news''.

In addition to the Rs 306 crore, the state government had also sought an assistance of Rs 1093.53 crore from the Centre for the loss suffered due to the flood in August and September.

UNI