Citizens get into rescue act where Govt fails

CUTTACK, NOV 4: Despite tall claims made by the district administration on distribution of food, the scene in Cuttack tells a different s...

CUTTACK, NOV 4: Despite tall claims made by the district administration on distribution of food, the scene in Cuttack tells a different story.

The administration claims to be providing a daily ration of 500 gm of rice or flattened rice to each family. But what reaches them is not even half of this quantity.

Initially councillors of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation had been asked to distribute relief material in their wards. But the CMC officials were accused of favouritism and the relief materials reportedly did not reach the cyclone victims.

Story continues below this ad

“The day after the cyclone, we were allotted 100 kg of rice and 10 kg of dal. But we got only 50 kg of rice and 8 kg of dal,” said Ashok Mohanty, president of the Loknath Yuva Samity, which helps relief work in the Rajabagicha area of the city.

After increasing complaints against the CMC official, district collector Pradeep Jena assigned the job to puja committees in the city.

“The CMC authorities, including the chairman, have been extremely callous andnon-cooperative,” the collector said.

But there has been no improvement due to short supply of food — only three quintals of rice and 35 kg of dal is being provided to a ward. “Our minimum requirement is ten quintals of rice and one quintal of dal. But we barely get two quintals of rice each day, which is grossly insufficient considering that more than 200 families have been affected,” said Batakrushna Satpathy, secretary of the Rajabagicha Labour Colony Puja Committee.

Story continues below this ad

“Besides, no kerosene is supplied to us even if we have gained the allotment slips,” he adds.

Six days after the cyclone, the CMC has not made any efforts to pump out stagnant water from low-lying areas. Trees that were felled by the winds are yet to be cleared from important roads in the city.

The failure of administrative agencies has given a shot in the arm to criminals. People shrink away from taking the material due to them due to the fear of being robbed.