Tripura urges Centre to release 14,247cr disaster fund

Agartala: Tripura finance minister Pranajit Singha Roy urged the Centre to release the balance amount of NDRF amounting to Rs 14,247 crore for the damages caused by the floods in August, during the pre-budget meeting in Jaisalmer Friday. Tripura govt had estimated losses to the tune of Rs 15,000 crore. A central team was also sent to the flood-hit districts. As many as 33 people were killed and more than 28,000 families were affected in the floods. However, the state govt has managed to collect only Rs 750 crore in the last four months under different schemes from the Centre, besides philanthropic aid from corporates, NGOs and individuals, reports Biswendu Bhattacharjee