Even as political blame game began to gain momentum just a couple of days after Cyclone Phailin ravaged the State, Rajya Sabha MP and BJP national general secretary Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday in a Press meet alleged that the State Government had failed to perform its responsibilities to balm the woes of the victims and there had been serious lapses in the distribution of relief, rehabilitation and immediate repair of infrastructure.
“On the very day of the cyclone, the Government was found faltering and had failed to meet the disaster,” said Pradhan here after touring cyclone ravaged Ganjam district. He continued that at many places, police had resorted to lathi charge and used force to suppress democratic protest for food and other minimum amenities by the cyclone-hit people. He said in cyclone battered areas, especially in Ganjam district, carcasses had piled up and begun to rot, letting out foul stink. Coupled with that, there lay a threat of water borne diseases as the Government had failed to take immediate measures to disinfect the water sources and provide safe drinking water to the people, he charged.
He also accused the Government of banking on imaginary and contradictory figures pertaining to loss and damages issued by the State Secretariat. “On the very next day of cyclone, the Government summed up losses at Rs 1,400 crore. later, the Government pegged losses in power infrastructure at Rs 900 crore, while the Agriculture department assessed the loss to the tune of Rs 2,300 crore. These facts and figures are creating confusion and misleading people,” Pradhan asserted.
“let there be proper assessment of losses on various sectors and preparation of a demand note with reasonable justifications to convince the Centre for possible support,” he demanded, adding, “I urge Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit the State and see for himself the devastation caused by severe cyclone and ensure a special package.”
Pradhan also laid stress on restoration of livelihood, especially in agriculture and traditional fishing, creation of massive housing through Indira Awas Yojana, rural roads, power infrastructure, cyclone shelters and cyclone friendly educational institutions. He too announced to donate his one month’s salary to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund as a token of his solidarity with the gale victims.