Gajapati district’s R Udayagiri block PRI members on Monday accused the Gajapati district administration of failing to provide relief to the Cyclone Hudhud-hit victims.
The PRI members made this allegation at the cyclone affected assessment meeting held at Cheligada. Former BJP MlA Bharata Paik wanted to know who visited the worst-affected R Udayagiri , Mohana, Rayagada and Nuagada blocks in the district. “People are yet to get relief in various areas even though more than a week has passed since the cyclone made a landfall the Andhra-Odisha coast. The State Government has failed to restore supply of electricity and water in villages,” R Udayagiri ZP member Jagabandhu and others alleged. They demanded that the administration should adopt calamity-hit blocks for speedy reconstruction and rehabilitation. Meanwhile, Agriculture Officer Bihutibhusan Bisoyi informed that standing paddy crops in 2,780 hectares and corn in 5,500 hectares have been damaged in Mohana block alone. Assessment of crop loss in other areas is going on, he informed.
The PRI members told the meeting that farmers are unable to reimburse the loan amounts they had taken from local Mahajans people to grow vegetables, paddy, maize and other crops. “As the crops have been damaged, a wide scale threat of farmer suicides has emerged in the whole district,” they said.
Paika demanded that a special package be given the victims soon to compensate the loss.