Patnaik seeks funds for Orissa flood, drought victims

Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday urged the central government to release adequate funds for the victims of the floods and drought the state had seen in 2008 and 2009.

Patnaik met Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in New Delhi and apprised him about the problem the state is facing due to the non release of funds, the chief minister's office here said in a statement.

The state government had sought Rs.4,944 crore for the victims of the 2008 floods for those hit by the drought and floods in the state in 2009, the statement said. The disaster had affected over five million people in Orissa.

The state government had sought the funds under the National Calamity Contingency Fund(NCCF), it said.

'The central government had committed to provide an amount of Rs.500 crore for the 2008 victims but that has not been released. The state has been provided with just about Rs.99 crore,' Patnaik was quoted as saying in the statement.

The chief minister requested Pawar that the balance amount of about Rs.401 crore committed for the 2008 flood victims be released, it said.