Bhubaneswar: A seven-member Central team led by Joint Secretary Ministry of Home Affairs S K Shahi Thursday left for Ganjam and Gajapati district to assess the damage caused by the severe cyclonic storm Titli and the subsequent flood.
Joint Relief Commissioner Pravat Ranjan Mohapatra said the team will visit Ganjam district Thursday and leave for Gajapati Friday to assess the damage.
The team is scheduled to hold a meeting with senior state government officials at the secretariat here Friday after their field visit.
Initially the plan was that the team would be divided into two groups and each group would visit one district. But later the plan was changed and a decision was taken to visit the two cyclone-affected districts in one group on the two days.
Official sources said the team is expected to submit its report to the central government within eight days.
Besides Sahi the other members of the team are Vandana Singhal, Chief Engineer in the ministry of Power, Rakesh Kumar, Regional Director, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Regional Office, Bhubaneswar, Sushant Kumar Shamal, Superintending Engineer (Coordination), Ministry of Water Resources, Regional Office, CWC, Bhubaneswar, Virender Singh, Director Agriculture & Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Directorate of Rice Development, Patna, G R Zagar senior consultant Drinking water Supply and Sanitation and R B Kaul Consultant, Finance Commission Division Department of Expenditure.
As many as 128 blocks spread over 17 districts were affected by the cyclone. A total of 77 deaths were reported of which 61 have been officially confirmed.
The state government has released Rs 1,311.40 crore from the State Disaster Relief Fund for undertaking relief and restoration work in the affected districts.
The state government has released over Rs 288 crore for relief and rehabilitation work in Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada districts only.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought an interim assistance of Rs 1,000 crore to undertake the relief and restoration work in the cyclone hit areas.
The state government had estimated a total loss of Rs 2,770.28 crore in the cyclone Titli and subsequent flood.
UNI