While the Cuttack district administration announced that cooked food items would be provided to all the 40,000-odd evacuees of the city for three days during the cyclone, the Congress has alleged that all the relief materials were looted by some ruling BJD corporators and the evacuees were left to fend for themselves.
The city Congress on Wednesday lodged a complaint at the Purighat police station here stating that some BJD corporators of the city at the behest of senior BJD leaders have looted relief items meant for the cyclone-affected people.
Congress leaders urged the police to investigate into the allegation and take appropriate action against the looters. The copies of the complaint were submitted to RDC Arabinda Padhee, the Cuttack Municipal Commissioner (CMC), ADM (Relief) and Vigilance SP for appropriate actions at their ends.
It may be mentioned that the district administration had claimed that nearly 40,000 people from low-lying areas of the city were evacuated to safer places and four free kitchens were opened to provide cooked food to all these evacuees for three days.
“Accordingly, the relief items arrived at the CMC office on Saturday morning and soon some ruling party corporators took them by several vehicles after threatening the CMC officials. No relief was provided even for a day to any of the evacuees who were settled at various shelter homes,” the Congress leaders alleged.
Interestingly, local BJD MlA Debashis Samantray also opined that there should be a proper investigation into the allegations and stringent action should be taken against the corporators whether they are from the ruling party or any other party. “The CMC doesn’t have corporators only from the BJD,” he remarked.