Odisha seeks Rs.511 crore additional drought assistance

The Odisha government has submitted a memorandum to the central government, seeking an additional assistance of Rs 511.507 crore to meet the drought situation in the state, said an official on Friday.

The state government on November 23 had submitted an interim memorandum seeking an assistance of Rs 1,687.561 crore on drought in 173 blocks.

With the assistance of Rs 511.507 crore, the state government has sought a total assistance of Rs 2,199.066 crore to mitigate the drought situation in the state.

The memorandum said that cumulatively, 13.41 lakh hectares of crop area in 215 blocks of 26 districts in the state had sustained crop loss of 33 percent and more as on date.

"Accordingly, an additional amount of Rs.511.507 crore is required towards agriculture input subsidy for crop loss and the total requirement of fund towards agriculture input subsidy comes to Rs.927.779 crore.

"However, the actual volume of crop loss will be ascertained after the crop cutting experiment of Kharif paddy is over on the basis of which the state government will submit the final memorandum, if required," said Special Relief Commissioner P.K. Mohapatra in the memorandum.