The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Friday urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to provide ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the next kin of those who have died in the cyclonic storm Phailin and the subsequent floods.
The party also requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to release ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of the each deceased and Rs 50,000 each to those injured in the twin natural calamities from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
“About 13 districts have been badly affected and more than 18 persons have died in the twin disasters. lakhs of poor families are going without food for days together due to the cyclone aftermath floods. Hence, the Government should ensure cooked food for the affected for at least seven days,” said SP State president Rabi Behera.
He also demanded immediate Government measures to check outbreak of epidemics, besides arrest of corrupt traders and hoarders for creating artificial shortage of essential commodities and vegetables resulting in price rise.
He also urged the PM to ensure interest-free loans to the affected farmers for the coming Rabi season and to waive their old loans.