Title: Need to release one thousand crore of rupees to meet problems of flood affected areas of Orissa-Laid.
(JAGATSINGHPUR) : Because of incessant heavy downpour during first and second week of July in Orissa, almost all the rivers were in spate. High floods in Mahanadi system, i.e. rivers Kathjori, Devi, Kusabhadra, Daya, Bhargavi, Chitrotpala, Luna and Birupa have totally damaged the tender paddy crops raised on either side of these above rivers of Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Puri and Kendrapada districts. The same places and same areas which were ravaged nearly two years before in October, 1999 by the super cyclone again have been totally devastated by this unprecedented flood. Lakhs of poor families have been rendered homeless and as reported nearly hundered persons have died due to the flood and heavy rainfall. Government of Orissa has given emergent relief but restoration of roads, reconstruction of houses and transplantation of paddy have to be taken up in right earnest. I urge upon the Ministry of Agriculture to sanction and release one thousand crores of rupess and take immediate measures to address the problems of poor farmers and agricultural labourers.