Odisha govt’s claim of 12 lakh evacuation ‘unrealistic’: Gamang

Bhubaneswar: The claims of Odisha government of evacuating 12 lakh people to safety ahead of cyclone Fani which hit the state on May 3 is absolutely ‘unrealistic’, said former CM and senior BJP leader Giridhar Gamang.

While speaking to OTV in the latest episode of Khola Katha programme, Gamang said that during his term as CM in 1999 when the super cyclone had hit the State there were no technological advancements, but even after 20 years, the current dispensation failed to warn people.

“We had not claimed zero-casualty and could only evacuate 45,000 people during 1999 cyclone. In the name of zero casualty, the current government’s claim of evacuating 12 lakh people in just a few days is unrealistic,” said Gamang.

Despite the rapid advancements in information technology after 20 years, the present State government could not provide exact information to the people in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar about cyclone Fani, he added.

To a question of PM Modi praising Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik’s efforts in tackling Cyclone Fani, Gamang said, “PM has not praised Naveen rather he did whatever was needed under a federal structure.”