Bhubaneswar: The Odisha chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, Thursday urged the union minister for home, Rajnath Singyh, to release the Titli cyclone assistance immediately.

Patnaik, in a letter to the union minister, has stated that 60.31 lakh people in 128 blocks of 17 districts were affected due to the October cyclone which was followed by flood and landslide. The state has sent a memorandum seeking Rs 2023.13 crore Central financial assistance against a requirement of Rs 2779.32 crore for the rehabilitation and restoration works in the affected areas. 

“An inter-ministerial central team made an on-spot assessment of the damage during the first week of November, 2018. However, we have not received any assistance, so far, from the government of India,” the chief minister has pointed out in the letter.