Naveen appreciates PM, Pradhan’s gesture in supporting Fani-hit multitude

Surjit Kumar Dhal,BHUBANESWAR, MAY 15: With the Union Government making adequate resources available for the FANI-battered State, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, always a grateful personality, has reciprocated the gesture by appreciating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s timely help to the multitude severely impacted by nature’s fury.

Chief Minister Patnaik lauded the efforts of the Prime Minister for sending resources to the cyclone-hit State. He also praised Union Minister Pradhan who doled out Rs. 3.2 crore for purchase of kerosene to be supplied to the people to fight darkness in absence of electricity.

Modi, who was extremely critical of Chief Minister Patnaik during his recent election campaigns, had wasted no time to appreciate Patnaik’s sincere efforts in saving thousands of lives by timely evacuation.

During his discussions with the CM in Bhubaneswar immediately after undertaking an aerial survey on May 6 of the wide-spread ravage wrecked by Fani, the Prime Minister had assured Patnaik of ‘all help’ to bail out the people from their sufferings.

He had instantly announced a grant of Rs.1,000 crore for immediate relief and rescue operations on the request of the Chief Minister.

The Prime Minister has also directed Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha to take necessary steps to help out the State.

Sinha on his part has extended help by sending NDRF teams to take up rescue operation while asking Union Secretaries of various departments to help the State in its present distress.

Chief Minister Patnaik Monday requested the Prime Minister to sanction five lakh houses from PMAY (Gramin) Scheme, which will cost Rs.7,000 crore.

While appreciating the efforts of Prime Minister Modi in supporting the State, Patnaik reiterated his request for waiver of the Permanent Wait List (PWL) criterion for this particular allocation and consider a Centre-State fund sharing pattern of 90:10 as a Special Case.

Similarly, Patnaik, in a letter to Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas thanked him for asking Oil India to send Rs.3.2 crore from its CSR Funds to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for purchase 1,000 Kilo Litres of  kerosene to be supplied to the people of cyclone-hit zones.

Patnaik’s twitter and letters to PM and Pradhan acknowledging timely support have triggered speculation in media about a possible post poll tie up between BJD and BJP.