Cyclone Titli: Pradhan accuses Odisha govt of delaying relief work

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday criticised the Odisha government for not providing proper relief to the people affected by cyclone Titli in the state.

Underlining the problem being faced by the people after the cyclone hit the state, Pradhan urged the state government to help the people at the earliest.

"Cyclone Titli destroyed this area of Gajapati. It has been eight days since it made a landfall. Electricity has not been restored and people have not been given proper relief. The situation is not good. The administration is nowhere to be seen. I request the state government to help people," Pradhan said after visiting cyclone-affected Gajapati district in Odisha.

Earlier in the day, in the wake of the widespread destruction caused by the cyclone in the state, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to release an interim assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for relief and restoration work.

The Chief Minister, in the letter, had stated that the storm and subsequent floods have caused damage and destruction in 17 districts of Odisha, of which Gajapati district has been the worst affected.

Apart from this, the Chief Minister had said that a total of 57,131 private houses were damaged in the storm while requesting the Prime Minister to consider a special allocation of houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMVA).

As many as 57 people lost their lives in different districts and 10 persons are reported missing due to landslides, wall collapse and drowning in the state caused by the cyclone.

On October 17, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik increased ex-gratia for the kin of the deceased affected due to cyclone Titli from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 10 lakh each.