Union Minister stranded as boat stuck in Chilika, rescued after 2 hours

Union Minister of Fisheries Parshottam Rupala was stranded in Chilika for two hours as the boat carrying him and others got stuck in the middle of the lake on Sunday evening.

However, Rupala was eventually rescued two hours after his boat was stranded. BJP National spokesperson Sambit Patra was also reportedly on the stranded boat.

As per reports, the Minister along with other officials were on their way on two boats from Barkul to Satapada to participate in Sagar Parikrama programme at Arakhakuda. The Minister was being ferried from OTDC guest house at around 4.15 pm. They were supposed to reach Satapada around 6 to 6.30 pm and attend Sagar Parikrama programme at Arakhakuda.

However, when the Minister didn’t reach at the programme after a long time, the organisers tried to trace his boat only to find that it ferried along a wrong route. Later, they came to know that the boats got stranded as the fans of the motors got struck with a net. The incident reportedly happened as both the boats came in the wrong direction and didn’t find the proper channel to reach Satapada.

Later, with the help of another two boats the Minister and others were somehow rescued.

However, Puri district administration was allegedly clueless about the incident.