BHUBANESWAR: Senior BJD member and former Minister Pradip Maharathi put the state government in an embarrassing situation in the Assembly on Monday by joining hands with Opposition MLAs to expose the inadequacies in post-Fani rehabilitation measures.
Alleging that the state government has failed to correctly assess the damage due to the extremely severe cyclone, particularly in Puri district, Maharathi claimed that persons affected by Fani were not properly identified.
Sixty to seventy per cent of the list of affected persons prepared by the administration is wrong, he alleged and said at many places assistance has not reached the needy people.
Maharathi’s criticism provided ammunition to the Opposition to corner the government which has received international acclaim for its handling of the cyclone.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had referred to Odisha government’s efforts, which minimised loss of life and property due to the cyclone, in Japan.
The issue cropped up during discussion on the admissibility of an adjournment motion brought by Opposition members.
While Bisnu Charan Sethi (BJP) said the Government has failed in restoration and rehabilitation measures, Suresh Kumar Routray (Congress) alleged that affected persons have not been properly identified.
Stating that government assistance has not reached many genuine affected persons, Routray said no steps have been initiated to compensate farmers who lost their livelihood.
Alleging that electricity is yet to be restored in many areas, he said drinking water is not available in villages.
“When this is the ground reality, the Prime Minister praised Odisha government’s handling of the cyclone in return for BJD’s gift of a Rajya Sabha seat to the BJP,” he claimed.
BJP MLA from Puri Jayant Kumar Sarangi also criticised the state government for failing to restore electricity and supply drinking water at many places.
Mohammed Moquim (Congress) alleged that the rosy picture given by the government is not correct while Sukanta Kumar Nayak (BJP) said only evacuation of large number of people before any cyclone is not the solution.
Making a statement in response, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marandi said relief, restoration and reconstruction work has been undertaken by the state government in cyclone-affected areas in the right earnest.