Central Division RDC Arabinda Padhee and Cuttack District Magistrate Girish SN on Saturday began a joint inquiry into the relief loot allegation against some ruling BJD corporators of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC). Both the officials went to the civic body office and quizzed CMC Commissioner NR Mohapatra and several corporators.
“We are making a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations, which are serious in nature, and on the basis of our findings, actions shall be taken against those found guilty,” said the RDC to reporters after the preliminary inquiry of recording the statements of the corporators.
Meanwhile, CMC Commissioner Mohapatra has asked all the corporators to return the excesses of relief materials they had forcibly taken away from the CMC office on October 13, the day after the devastating cyclone.
“The corporators have been asked to submit the details of the relief materials they had taken, how much of it were distributed along with proof and return the excess quantities to the civic body within seven days,” Mohapatra said, clearly indicating that some corporators had actually taken away relief materials by bullying CMC officials.
On the other hand, the BJD corporators squarely blamed the officials, both of district and civic body, for failing to distribute the relief materials properly to the affected people. While the authorities declared to provide cooked food for three days through four free kitchens across the city to about 40,000 affected people, not a single morsel was distributed in any kitchen ever, the corporators complained.
“Only two quintals of fuel wood arrived at one free kitchen at the Nuabazar High School on October 13 morning, and after that not a single grain nor utensils along with men and other materials reached there for some 5,000 people who were evacuated in this part of the city,” said a BJD corporator.
Many corporators, who could not lay their hands on relief materials from the CMC, are now demanding stringent action against the looters.
The city Congress was first to bring this looting incident into light and subsequently lodged a police complaint demanding action against the culprits in accordance to law.