Agartala, Sep 13 (IANS): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday assured him that the Centre would expedite financial assistance to the state to mitigate the damage to crops, infrastructure and properties in the state, which devastated due to the recent catastrophic floods and landslides.

In his address at the swearing-in-ceremony of Zilla Sabhadhipati and other members of South Tripura Zilla Parishad, he said that the state government has sought financial support owing to the overall flood damage estimated at Rs 15,000 crore.

"As per the direction of the Home Minister, we have completed all the necessary formalities in regard to the losses due to the damage of crops, infrastructure and properties. A senior state government officer on Friday is going to Delhi to apprise the government of India officials in this regard," Saha said.

He said that the six-member inter-ministerial Central team (IMCT), which recently visited the worst-hit Gomati, Sepahijala, Khowai, and South Tripura districts for four days and assessed the flood damage and losses, also submitted their report to the Central government.

The unprecedented flood and landslides triggered by record quantities of rainfall damaged a huge number of public and private properties, infrastructures and crops, the Chief Minister said.

He said that the state government recently announced Rs 564 crore special packages to cope with the recently witnessed catastrophic floods for the first time in over three decades, affecting over 17 lakh people, and leaving 36 people, including women and children, dead.

Over 62,200 houses have been damaged due to the floods from August 19-24. Besides the devastating floods, landslides triggered by heavy rain occurred at 2,066 places damaging houses, crops in vast lands, roads, bridges, electrical infrastructure, fisheries, animal resources, and buildings in all eight districts, especially in Gomati, South Tripura, Sepahijala, and Khowai districts.

State Relief, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Secretary Brijesh Pandey said that 3,873 flood-affected people are still sheltered in 67 relief camps in different districts. He said the Tripura government has decided to provide free ration at the rate of 10 kg per ration card for two months, as announced under the Chief Minister’s Relief package.