Naveen seeks Rs 750 crores flood assistance from centre

Bhubaneswar, Sep 27 (UNI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today sought an assistance of Rs 750 crores from the centre to tackle the recent spell of floods in the state.

Preliminary estimates had indicated that the fourth spell of floods in the current monsoon, damaged property worth Rs 1085 crores.

Official sources here said Mr Patnaik who met Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil at New Delhi today submitted a memorandum seeking central assistance of Rs.750 crore to meet the situation arising out of the flood.

The floods triggered by series of depression in the state during the past one month, had so far claimed 29 lives, damaged 64,000 houses and inundated nearly four lakh hectares of agricultural land.

Describing the situation as grave,the Chief Minister has urged the Union Home Minister to depute a central team to assess the damages.

It may be recalled here that the Orissa government had submitted a memorandum in July last asking for Rs 306 crore central assistance.

Mr Patnaik pressed upon the Union Minister to release fund to the state on the basis of the memorandum already submitted to the centre.

Official sources here said the Union Home Minister had assured the Chief Minister that a central team would soon visit Orissa.

UNI