Vikash Sharma

Gajapati: Even after one month of the devastation caused by cyclone Titli, affected people in Gajapati district are yet to come to terms with life. Mostly, people of Badagaon, Kintala, Binayak Sahi under Anga panchayat of R.Udaygiri block are the worst suffers as the administration is yet to complete the assessment of damages.

Not a single revenue department official or the local tehsildar has visited the affected areas. As a result, the affected people are now forced to spend lives under the open sky as their houses are yet to be rebuilt.

“We can build houses only after officials visit the village and assess the damages,” said Sumita Jamadar, a local resident.

Sarpanch of Anaga panchayat, Krushna Chandra Badamundi alleged that Gajapati Collector has not visited the five villages which were left out during the preliminary survey conducted by the officials.

“The RI has not conducted the survey properly as 130 houses were not properly assessed. We have submitted a memorandum to the district administration so that the affected villagers can get house damage assistance,” said Badamundi.

Not only houses, the villagers have also alleged that the sole tube well is lying defunct and at the same time no efforts have been taken to repair the roads which were washed away during heavy rain following cyclone Titli.

R. Udaygiri BDO, Pradip Nayak informed that the left out beneficiaries can apply to tehsildar for house damage assistance.

“If any beneficiary has been left out, they can lodge their grievances again before the tehsildar,” said Nayak.

R.Udaygiri Tehsildar, Smrutiiranjan Satpathy on the other hand stated that "An inquiry has been ordered into the grievances and we will look into all such grievances after release of assistance in the first phase.”

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