Give adequate funds to flood-hit Orissa: BJP

New Delhi, Oct 23: The BJD made a fervent appeal to the Centre to make available sufficient funds to Orissa to tide over problems arising out of heavy floods and undertake reconstruction work.

Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour, the BJD members led by Ms Archana Nayak, pointed out that the unprecedented floods had caused heavy all-round destruction in 19 districts of the state and uprooted more than 40 lakh people.

Reiterating their demand that the floods in Orissa should be treated as national calamity and adequate funds be made available to the state government suffering from a resource crunch, other BJD members who joined Ms Naik in the demand, regretted that the Government sanctioned only Rs 500 crore against the state's demand for Rs 1500 crore. Moreover, till date only half the amount had been released for carrying out relief and rehabilitation work, they said.

BJD leader in the House Braja Kishore Tripathy accused the government of being insensitive to the sufferings of lakhs of people and said both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister did not find time to visit the flood-affected areas of the state.

Another BJD member urged for more resources to be made available under the Indira Awas Yojana so that low cost houses could be constructed for economically weaker sections, SCs and STs.

UNI