Odisha govt turns enemy of people: Niranjan

Bhubaneswar: Instead of providing help and security to the people of Odisha, the state government has turned into their enemy, alleged Niranjan Patnaik, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president on Monday.

In a press statement, he said the state government has completely failed in tackling the cyclone TITLI.

He said the cyclone and consequent floods have taken 62 precious lives.

“BJD government initially declared Rs.4 lakh compensation to the families of each deceased. After Pradesh Congress Committee demanded Rs.10 lakh, state government hiked it to match the amount. But the relief and rehabilitation work is not at all satisfactory,” alleged Niranjan.

He demanded to speed up the process.

Also, the road, electricity, water supply restoration and repair work must be completed on a war footing, said the PCC chief.

Patnaik alleged the tigress from Bandhabgarh had killed a woman in Satkosia Sanctuary, in Angul district, a month ago.

It created fear among the villagers residing in the forest area and they had demanded the shifting of the tigress from Satkosia to elsewhere. But the state government pacified the people by promising that it is keeping a close watch on the movement of the animal.

“Now the tigress has killed a person in Tainsi village, as alleged by the locals. It is assumed that the state govt has let the people be killed, by not taking the situation seriously. The animal should immediately be shifted to some other place or it might be kept in an enclosure to keep watch on its behaviour,” said the PCC president.

He demanded that the deceased’s family members must be properly compensated and state govt should act accordingly before the situation get worst.