Bhubaneswar: Union Minister Pratap Sarangi today came down heavily on Odisha government for allegedly sitting silent after evacuating people during cyclone ‘Yaas’ that had hit the coast in north Odisha on May 26 leaving a trail of destruction.
Sarangi’s criticism comes at a time when an inter-ministerial team is making assessment of damages caused by the cyclone in four districts- Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Kendrapara.
Sarangi said he would discuss with the central team regarding the damages soon after the assessment is over.
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“The State government thinks that its duty is over after evacuating people. The Cyclone has battered several areas in the northern parts of the State. Large swathes of farm lands were inundated with saline water due to high tidal waves and heavy rains in the aftermath of the cyclone. We would seek more pucca houses for the State under central scheme,” Sarangi added.
Hundreds of houses have been damaged in the calamity. The Centre had sanctioned 8.17 lakh houses for Odisha, he added.
The houses should not be allotted the way state government distributed polythene, the Union Minister said.
Apart from the drainage system, embankment repairs and protection measures of the State have also failed, he alleged.
Fishermen community which bore the brunt of the calamity mostly were deprived of many government schemes due to lackadaisical approach of the State, the Union Minister said adding the fishermen are supposed to get insurance cover and State government should take urgent measures to facilitate maximum benefits for the farmers and fishermen in the worst-hit regions.
Meanwhile, the Central team has made on-the-spot assessment at various places in Kendrapara and Mayurbhanj district. The team which was divided into two parts toured to Baripada in Mayrubhanj district and Rajnagar in Kendrapara separately today.
The team had visited Balasore and Bhadrak districts yesterday and made assessment of damages.