Cuttack: Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi Monday appeared before the Orissa Human Rights Commission (OHRC) and presented his stand on maintenance of cyclone shelter homes in the state.
Earlier, the rights body had asked the SRC to appear before it while taking up a petition alleging deplorable condition of shelter homes owing to lack of maintenance. Sethi in his report claimed that the cyclone rescue centres maintained by Revenue and Disaster Management department are functioning smoothly. “However, it is not our responsibility to maintain the shelter homes run by the School and Mass Education and Panchayati Raj departments,” Sethi informed the OHRC.
Notably, rights activist Akhand had moved the OHRC alleging ill-maintenance of shelter homes in the state.
According to Akhand, as many as 9,000 shelter homes were set up in the state post Super Cyclone 1999. However, a majority of the shelter homes are now unusable due to lack of maintenance. Many of them are lying in a dilapidated condition, he had added.
The shelter homes were set up by using funds of Prime Minister’s Relief Fund, Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, MPLAD fund and the allocations from the governments of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Delhi. Some voluntary organisations and industries had also extended their help in this regard.
Acting on the petition, the acting chairperson of OHRC, Justice BK Mishra, had directed the revenue and disaster management secretary and special relief commissioner to probe the allegations. However, the petitioner raised objections to the report submitted by the Revenue department in this regard following which the OHRC had directed the SRC to appear before it and present his view.
Moreover, during the hearing the petitioner prayed to the commission to direct the state government to submit status report of the shelter homes run by other departments.
PNN
