BHUBANESWAR: The Congress on Monday alleged that the overemphasis of State Government on zero casualty led to such a large number of deaths in cyclone Titli and the subsequent floods.“The Naveen Patnaik Government is entirely responsible for the death of more than 70 persons in the cyclone and floods,” Congress Odisha in-charge Jitendra Singh told mediapersons here. “Had the State Government taken the IMD warning seriously and started operations locally, many lives could have been saved,” he said.
Singh, who visited the worst-affected southern districts along with Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra, working president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Pradip Majhi and other senior leaders, alleged that the focus of the entire administration was on Ganjam, the home district of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Press releases issued by the office of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) on the day before and after the landfall of Titli had details of the people affected by the cyclone besides village and panchayat-wise data, but had sketchy reports about the worst-affected Gajapati district, he said.
Singh said the IMD warning clearly maintained that there would very heavy rainfall in Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Puri and Kandhamal districts. The cyclone after landfall near Palasa would recurve and move across Odisha, the weather warning had said. “This clearly proves the Government clarification of not expecting heavy rainfall as a blatant lie,” he said.
The Congress leader alleged that no one from the district administration went to the worst-hit Baraghar village in Gajapati, where 18 people died due to a landslide, for evacuation of villagers to a safer place. Rescue workers reached the village two days after the incident, he said.Singh said had the State Government implemented the Chief Minister’s announcement to make all-weather roads to all inaccessible villages after the malnutrition deaths at Nagada village in 2016, many lives could have been saved.