Bhubaneswar: The Central team, which visited the cyclone Titli-hit Gajapati district on Friday said that the natural disaster caused massive damages in the district.
The seven-member team led by Ministry of Home Affairs Joint Secretary SK Shahi visited villages of Khamunga, Manikapatna, Burungi,Chammunida and Baraghara village of Gangabada panchayat in the Titli-affected district, accompanied by Gajapati Collector Anupam Saha and other officials.
The team talked to the affected people regarding the relief and restoration works carried out by the Odisha Government.
The team found widespread damages in the district, said SK Shahi.
After the visit, the team met the Odisha Chief Secretary and senior officials of different line departments of State Government at the State secretariat in Bhubaneswar.
The team had visited the Titli-affected areas in Ganjam district on Thursday.
The team would give its report to the Central Government.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Government has urged the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to release a second instalment of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) immediately to undertake relief and restoration activities.
In this connection, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi wrote a letter to Union Home Affairs Secretary Rajiv Gauba
The State Government has taken prompt measures for relief and rescue operations as well as repair and restoration of the damaged infrastructures out of the funds available in the SDRF by adhering to the norms of expenditure out of the State Disaster Response Fund and the National Disaster Response Fund prescribed by the Government of India following the very severe cyclonic storm that ravaged the State on October 11. .
In the meantime, the State Government has submitted a preliminary memorandum to the Union Government seeking Rs 2,014.09 crore of Central assistance, informed Padhi.
He said that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an interim relief of Rs 1,000 crore to undertake the relief measures.
Meanwhile, the funds available in the SDRF have almost been exhausted for undertaking further relief and restoration works.