Central team reaches Odisha, to visit cyclone-hit areas from Monday

An IMCT reached Odisha to make on-the-spot assessment of damages caused by cyclone Yaas that hit the state's coast on May 26, official sources said

An Inter-Ministerial Central

Team (IMCT) reached Odisha on Sunday to make on-the-spot assessment of damages caused by cyclone Yaas that hit the state's coast on May 26, official sources said.

The seven-member team headed by Ministry of Home Affairs Joint Secretary Sunil Kumar Barnwal arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here. The team includes four Odia officers, they said.

The team is scheduled to visit Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada and Mayurbhanj districts on Monday and Tuesday to assess the damages caused by the cyclone.

The IMCT will be divided into two sub-teams and each unit will visit two districts in the next two days, a member of the central team said.

Before leaving for New Delhi, the team members will hold a meeting with Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra and Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena.

After undertaking an aerial survey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on May 28 announced Rs 500 crore relief assistance for the state and also said that a central team will visit the state soon.

The state has pegged post-cyclone damage at Rs 610 crore. Of this, Rs 520 crore is loss to government infrastructure and Rs 90 crore is damage to private properties.

Modi had made the announcement after a meeting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.