The Odisha government has appealed to the Centre to grant a ₹20,000 crore package for the state to build disaster-resilient infrastructure in core sectors such as energy, housing, and coastal embankments along the coastline. The proposal was brought up in a meeting of the state administration with their central counterparts, who are presently in Odisha to assess the damage from Cyclone Amphan that wreaked havoc to the eastern part of the country last month.
While ₹14,000 crores would be earmarked to build disaster-resilient power infrastructure, ₹4000 crores would be set aside for housing projects, and the remaining sum of ₹2000 crores would be allocated for developing coastal embankments along the shoreline. “We have discussed the issue with the central team and a final memorandum will be submitted in a week,” said special relief commissioner PK Jena.
Although West Bengal bore the brunt of Cyclone Amphan, touted to be the strongest cyclone in over two decades to have developed in the Bay of Bengal, Odisha too suffered in its wake. The storm blew away thatched roofs, battered power supply structures, and damaged coastal roads in the north-eastern parts of the state.