By Rajeev Lochan Rathan: The Panchayat Raj Institution (PRI) members have accused the administration in Gajapati district of failure in providing relief to cyclone victims. The administration should have adopted calamity-hit blocks for speedy reconstruction and rehabilitation, opined R.Udayagiri block PRI members at an assessment meeting in Cheligada on Sunday.
Former BJP MLA Bharata Paik, who visited the worst-affected R.Udayagiri, Mohana, Rayagada and Nuagada blocks in Gajapati, sought speedy reconstruction rehabilitation work in the regions hit by Cyclone Hudhud and subsequent floods.
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The PRI members alleged that the state government has not been able to restore power and water in many villages in the district even a week after the cyclone made a landfall on October 12. There has been severe loss to the crops as a huge landmass covering corn bud was washed away by rain water. At least 2,780 hectares of paddy cultivation and 5,500 hectares of corn were damaged in Mohana block, according to Agriculture Officer, Bibhutibhusan Bisoyi.
“The farmers are unable to reimburse the loan which they had taken from some local people to grow vegetables, paddy, maize and other crops on their cultivable lands are damaged. Farmer suicide remains a possibility in the district if they unable to repay to the Moneylenders,” the PRI concluded.
Bharat Paik sought a special package for affected farmers and demanded their loans to be waived off. Jagabandhu Dash, ZP member R.Udayagiri, has slammed the District Administration, saying it has failed in giving immediate relief to calamity victims and taking adequate steps to restore and renovate the damaged houses.
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