Quintals of relief meant for Cyclone Fani victims dumped in Puri

Puri: Quintals of flattened rice (chuda) meant for distribution among the Cyclone Fani-hit victims of Krushna Prasad block in Puri district were dumped by local administration near Chilika coast here on Wednesday.

Though the stock was buried yesterday, the matter came to the fore only after some locals reported the matter to the media.

As per reports, the ‘chuda’ was to be distributed in seven panchayats of Krushna Prasad block and kept stored inside the Pantha Niwas in Satapada.

Due to lack of timely distribution of the stocks, the relief got damaged and later buried by the administration in presence of the local Tehsildar at the backyard of Pantha Niwas in Chilika coast, said sources.

Meanwhile, Block Development Officer (BDO) of Krushna Prasad block Abhimanyu Majhi said that the flattened rice stocks were damaged in cyclone-triggered rain and was unfit for consumption.

“The stocks were kept at the Pantha Niwas before Fani made landfall in Odisha. The cyclone broke glasses of the windows and doors of the room where the stocks were stored and rain water entered the room; around 27 quintals of ‘chuda’ got destroyed in the water. As the flattened rice was unfit for consumption, it was dumped after proper enquiry,” informed Majhi adding that some of the stocks which could be consumed has already been distributed.