Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday requested the central government to relax NDRF norms to provide for the actual cost of restoration of the entire power infrastructure damaged in 14 districts of the state by cyclone F.
Patnaik, in a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, said that the norms of the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for repair of damaged power sector allow financial assistance only for damaged conductors, poles and transformers and up to the level of 11 KV.
"Even the scale of assistance for the admissible items is highly inadequate," he said adding "Besides the large scale damage to 11 KV lines, distribution transformers and LT network admissible for repair and restoration under NDRF norms, extensive damage has also been caused to 220 KV/132 KV towers and transmission lines, grid substations and power transformers, 33 KV poles, lines and primary sub-stations."
According to a preliminary report, Patnaik said, the extent of damage caused due to F is estimated to be about Rs 1, 160 crore.
"The transmission and distribution compes are not in a position to finance these restoration works. As electricity is a basic necessity, the state government has undertaken the restoration of power infrastructure on a war footing from its own resources," he said.
"However, the scale of damage to the power infrastructure is far too extensive to be taken care of by the state government alone. In the above context, it is requested that the NDRF norms may be relaxed," Patnaik further said.
Cyclone F, which made landfall in Puri district on May 3, left a trail of destruction in the state.
The death toll in the state due to the cyclone touched 64 with Puri recording the maximum number of casualties at 39, according to official estimates released by the Odisha government on May 11.
According to government data, livestock casualties are over 34 lakhs and over one crore sixty-five lakh people were adversely affected by F in Odisha.