Krushnaprasad: Eight days after the cyclonic storm Fani hit the state, the local administration distributed money and rice to the ration cardholders of Krushnaprasad block in Puri district Saturday.
Every cyclone-affected ration cardholder was given 50 kg of rice and Rs 2,000 in cash Saturday as disaster relief. About 250 out of 1,000 ration cardholders of this panchayat were given cyclone relief material under by Maluda sarpanch Rabindra Nath Das and his team. It was announced remaining people would be given relief material Sunday. Later, relief officials informed that polythene sheets will also be provided to the cyclone victims.
Meanwhile, allegations are galore that the district administration meting out step-motherly treatment while discharging its responsibilities and distributing relief material. It is claimed the non-cardholders are being ignored in passing on the governmental benefits. Moreover, villagers alleged that dealers are siphoning off 2-3 kg of rice from each bag. When the rice bags were checked by the villagers, it was found that some of them contained only 47-48 kg of rice.
What has raised hackles among the villagers is the way the officials are discriminating in aid distribution. Irrespective of the financial standing of individuals, cyclone Fani has broken the economic backbone of all people. It has affected most of the residents of Puri district in general and Krushnaprasad block in particular. Then why this bias, they ask.
