Samata Kranti Dal (SKD) chief and former Union Minister Braja Kishore Tripathy visited the Phailin and flood- affected areas of Ganjam district and interacted with some of the farmers and victims who suffered unprecedented losses due to the natural fury.
While assessing the damages and taking stock of the post-Phailin relief, restoration and rehabilitation work at Chatrapur, Tripathy said that the Government had failed to provide required assistance and adequate compensation to the affected farmers who have lost their crops and livelihoods.
Briefing the scribes at Brahmapur, he alleged that the compensation and post- Phailin relief provided by the Government to the victims was an eyewash. He alleged that a false propaganda had been created regarding the relief and restoration works, while on ground the victims got too little too late compared to the quantum of loss and damage to food grains, crops, cattle firms, vegetable crops, fishing nets, coconut and cashew nuts, etc in the district. Instead of providing adequate relief and compensation, the Government was busy in protecting the black marketers, hoarders, corrupt officers and party men who managed to loot massive relief materials worth crores of rupees in broad day light.
The figure given by the Government that 12 lakh Phailin victims were rescued and kept in temporary shelter is false as it is evident from the fact that many victims had to pass sleepless night in hunger, he asserted.
The Samata Kranti Dal demanded a resurvey of the damages once again and provision of adequate compensation to the farmers and Phailin victims. Among others, the party demanded that Government pay a compensation of `10,000 per acre of loss of crops to the farmers, pension, waive agriculture loans and water cess, restore power to lI points and provide 90 per cent concession to farmers in purchase of diesel and solar pump sets and kerosene.
Odisha Chasi Suraksha Abhijan convener and Samata Kranti Dal vice president Rabi Rath, district president Subas Rout, secretary of Rushikullya Rayat Mahasangh Simanchal Nahak, Gajapati Zilla Chasi Surakshya Abhizan president Meenaketan Jena, D Narayan, Pranav Kumar Das and Bijay Kumar Swain were present.