Cyclone Titli: Odisha CM declares Rs 1 mn ex-gratia for kin of deceased

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday increased the ex-gratia amount from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 1 million for kin of those who died due to cyclone Titli and its after effects. An additional Rs. 6 lakh will also be disbursed from the Chief Minister Relief Fund.

The Chief Minister made the announcement after touring the affected districts.

Patnaik assured that vulnerability mapping of all villages and habitations located in hilly and difficult regions will be done and all facilities will be extended to the affected people when they shift to other locations. The step comes after reports that people from many villages have expressed their willingness to move from the hilltop to different locations.

The state government has also announced that these new settlements will be declared as villages and all basic amenities such as drinking water, anganwadi centres, schools, community centres and health facilities will be provided.

The Chief Minister also said that provision of connectivity, homestead land, house building assistance and social security cover will be made immediately. Apart from this, the state will extend facilities for education and other expenses of those children who have been orphaned due to the natural calamity.

The death toll in cyclone Titli that made a landfall in the state on October 11, has risen to 52. The people died due to a landslide, falling of trees, drowning, wall collapse in the districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Angul, Keonjhar and Nayagarh.

Three districts of Odisha - Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada - were severely affected by cyclone Titli, heavy rains and the subsequent floods earlier this month.