JAGATSINGHPUR: The non-supply of kerosene to flood-affected families in Jagatsinghpur district has added to their woes, with thousands spending nights in darkness amid prolonged power outages caused by damage to power infrastructure.
Over 6,574 people in 24 villages across Kujang, Biridi, Naugaon, Tirtol, Raghunathpur and Balikuda blocks have been affected by floods in the district. Floodwaters have damaged power infrastructure in villages. The residents alleged that no kerosene has been supplied either free of cost or at subsidised rates, despite widespread power disruptions.
According to the district emergency office and TPCODL, power supply remained disrupted for the past three days in the worst-hit Saharadia village under Kujang block. They said the candles distributed by the administration burn out within a few hours.
Electricity has also been snapped in villages in Kujang, Tirtol, Naugaon, Balikuda and Biridi blocks. Similarly, residents of Saharadia and Sana Saharadia alleged that their villages had remained cut off for three days and that neither the administration nor elected representatives had taken steps to provide kerosene during the flood.
Civil Supplies department sources said the district has around 2.58 lakh PDS cardholders served by 536 fair price shop dealers. Kerosene is supplied once every three months. However, demand has declined sharply as the retail price has risen to around Rs 70-80 per litre. Many dealers have also stopped lifting kerosene as wholesalers require advance payment before supplying it.
Officials said the district received an allocation of around 1.24 lakh litres of kerosene between April and June, of which around 1.20 lakh litres was lifted. However, no fresh allocation has been received for July and August, worsening the situation during the floods.
PDS dealer Khiroda Das of Haripur village under Kujang block said the village, which has remained cut off for three days, has 135 PDS beneficiaries. He said he had not procured kerosene for the past three years due to poor demand caused by rising prices.
“No kerosene has been supplied even during the present flood situation,” he said.
BJD leader Debendra Mallick criticised the government for failing to provide kerosene either at subsidised rates or free of cost to flood victims. He also claimed that flood management had been unsatisfactory and that many affected villages were yet to receive adequate relief materials.
District Civil Supplies officer Jitray Charan Tudu said the district had received kerosene allocations only to supply 478 grams per card during the April-June period. “No allocation has been received for July and August. Therefore, kerosene could not be supplied to the flood-affected people,” he said.
