Asking Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to be realistic and not propagandist, Pradesh Congress Committee president Jayadev Jena has rejected the State Government’s claim that it undertook the country’s biggest-ever evacuation operation by shifting over 9 lakh people to safe places ahead of the cyclone Phailin.
“The Odisha Government’s claim about evacuation of 9 lakh people to safe places is a false propaganda. People of coastal areas moved to safe places on their own after getting reports about the Phailin with speed of 300 kmph from the media,” Jena said in a statement on Monday.
He alleged that the preparations of the State Government to face the Phailin were “despairing”. The Government was in fact unable to make arrangements to shift even 50,000 people, Jena said, claiming that the UPA Government at the Centre provided adequate assistance to face the cyclone as per its assurance.
Jena said Congress president Sonia Gandhi has discussed with him about the calamity and the Centre’s assistance and she inquired about the plight of the people. Moreover, Vice-Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority M Shashidhar Reddy sincerely monitored the operation.
Jena said that the Union Government has provided 18 helicopters, 40 planes, 1,220 NDRF personnel and other requisite assistance. The Naval Force was fully prepared to face the situation, he said.
Jena alleged that State administration has not yet been able to reach most of the people. The situations in Brahmapur, Gopalpur, Rangeilunda and Puri are precarious. “The Government has failed to accumulate most essential commodities though it had known about the severity of the cyclone before a week,” he said.