The Centre has expressed reservations about approving Odisha’s request for Rs 9,755 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund to strengthen power infrastructure against disasters. The state government has now sought Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s help to arrange suitable financing for the project. The initiative targets transmission and distribution networks in coastal districts prone to cyclones. Officials noted that over 30 percent of substations are within 20 km of the coast and 75 percent of distribution lines are more than three decades old, increasing their vulnerability. In the past 20 years, Odisha has faced more than seven severe cyclones that caused nearly Rs 10,000 crore in cumulative damage to the power network. The state submitted a formal proposal to the National Disaster Management Authority on April 27. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi wrote to Shah on June 16, highlighting that while disaster preparedness has improved, infrastructure disruptions continue to affect essential services and the economy. Proposed measures include underground cabling, resilient substations, and network redundancy. Union Minister of State Nityananda Rai stated that primary responsibility for disaster management lies with states and that commercial entities should include risk mitigation in their investments. Odisha has committed state and utility funds but seeks gap funding from the Centre for the full package.
