Pradesh Congress Committee president Sarat Patnaik on Tuesday made an on- the -spot assessment of flood situation in Subarnarekha basin, moved around flood-hit villages in Baleswar district, interacted with people and distributed relief materials.
Patnaik along with Baleswar MP Candidate Navajyoti Patnaik and District Congress Committee president Sanjiv Giri visited Baliapal, Jaleswar, Bhograi and Basta areas and discussed with distressed people. He distributed dry foods, halogen tablets, drinking water, tarpaulin sheets and other household items, etc.
Describing the recent floods in the Mahanadi basin which affected 15 lakh people spread over 15 districts and recent Subarnarekha floods as manmade, Patnaik held the ruling BJD Government responsible as during the last 22 years, the Naveen Patnaik Government has utterly failed to address the flood situation in the State.
“People are still marooned in hundreds of villages; even the Government officials have not reached to flood affected villages. Extensive damages have been done to standing crops, properties of people, many houses damaged and people are still living in uncertainty in some cut-off areas,” he said.
Patnaik squarely blamed the State Government for their failure in responding to the flood situation. Because of ineffective flood management people suffered and new areas came under flood map, he said.