Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Opposition BJD Thursday accused the BJP government of failing to tackle the flood in Jajpur district and also alleged discrimination in relief distribution among the affected villagers.
However, the ruling BJP rejected the allegation and claimed that the people are being provided with the relief materials as per the norms of the relief code.
The situation in Jajpur district remained grim due to flooding in the Baitarani river and its tributaries, as 62 villages remained inundated in Dasarathpur block.
Addressing a press conference, three BJD MLAs from Jajpur district – Pramila Mallik (Binjharpur), Sujata Sahu (Jajpur) and Biswaranjan Mallik (Bari) – alleged that the flood-affected people are disappointed with the government’s functioning, as they remained surrounded by floodwater for over a month.
They alleged that the government has made no efforts to mitigate the calamity.
“Whatever little relief material is being sent by the government, they are distributed not through the district administration, but by local BJP leaders,” Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallik claimed.
The seven-time MLA from Binjharpur Assembly segment also alleged that the worst-affected Bari, Binjharpur and Jajpur Assembly constituencies have suffered extensive damage, but these areas were ignored in the distribution of relief materials because they are represented by BJD MLAs.
“Even after 26 days since the floods occurred, several areas of Jajpur district are still surrounded by floodwaters, and people continue to face severe hardships. There is no visible urgency on the part of the state government to provide assistance to them,” Mallik alleged.
Had the government made proper preparations in advance as was done during Naveen Patnaik’s tenure, breaches would not have occurred in the Bari, Binjharpur and Dasarathpur areas, she claimed.
Even after floodwaters entered several residential areas, there was an inordinate delay in delivering dry food, cattle feed and other relief materials, she alleged.
On Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s visit to the flood-affected area, the BJD leader said, “The CM travelled by boat and took photographs, but did not understand the difficulties being faced by the people. We had gone to inform him about the problems of the people, but we were humiliated.”
Biswaranjan Mallik said that the Chief Minister had visited Jajpur district to inspect the flood-affected areas, but did not consider it important to visit Bari, which was among the worst-affected areas. Similarly, Deputy CM Pravati Parida also did not go to Bari during her visit to Jajpur district, he alleged.
“Relief materials from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund had reached our area in trucks, but surprisingly, they were not handed over to the district administration.
Nobody knows where these relief materials went. Some local BJP leaders distributed these relief materials in certain areas and uploaded photographs of the distribution on social media,” he alleged.
Farmers have suffered the maximum losses due to the floods, but those were not assessed, Biswaranjan Mallik alleged.
Sujata Sahu said that floodwaters have entered the Dasarathpur area six times in the last 36 days. Even now, around 53,000 people remain surrounded by floodwaters.
The Government has failed to rescue the people and rehabilitate them in safe locations, she alleged.
The ruling BJP, however, rejected the charges.
“There is no discrimination as alleged by the BJD,” BJP spokesperson Manoj Mishra told reporters.