CM seeks Rs 750 crore Central help for flood relief

Statesman News Service
BHUBANESWAR, Sept. 27: Chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik today met the Union home minister Mr Shivraj Patil at New Delhi and presented a memorandum for flood assistance of Rs 750 crore.
The memorandum outlined the damages caused by the recent spell of floods.
Preliminary estimates have shown that the damages caused by the recent floods are in the range of Rs 1,085 crore.
More than 64,000 houses have been damaged and 4 lakh hectares inundated in various parts of the state this season.
This is the second such memorandum, which has been presented by the state government to the central government. The first memorandum of Rs 306 crore was submitted in July.
The chief minister impressed upon the home minister to immediately release the funds to the state government based on the earlier memorandum.
He also requested deputation of a central team for assessment of the damage.
The minister assured that the central team will visit Orissa soon.
Mr Patnaik also discussed regarding two important Bills, which are awaiting the assent of the President of India. The Bills passed by the Orissa Legislative Assembly are the Special Courts Bill and The Orissa Urban Police Bill. The Special Courts Bill empowers the state government to set up special courts to try corruption cases and to confiscate properties acquired by officials and public servants disproportionate to their known source of income.