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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Symbol row erupts on flood relief by Manoj Kar

Symbol row erupts on flood relief by Manoj Kar

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published Published on Sep 17, 2011   modified Modified on Sep 17, 2011

The Orissa government finds itself in the midst of an embarrassing controversy following allegations of official relief being distributed in bags emblazoned with conch, the election symbol of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

Miffed at the ruling party’s bid to make political capital out of the relief operation, flood-affected people in Nadiabarei village of Kendrapara district refused to accept dry food packets containing flattened rice (chudda) as they bore the conch symbol. Sensing the anger, the embarrassed officials distributing relief material took back the bags. Similar protests were also seen in Bandhakata, Ramachandrapur and Patalipanka villages.

The controversy gathered steam with former Kendrapara Zilla Parishad president Nagendra Behera alleging that the administration was brazenly allowing the ruling party to take credit for the relief operation. Behera also alleged that ruling party sarpanches were found hoarding relief material so that they could be distributed at a select group of villages.

Kendrapara collector Pradipta Kishore Pattnaik admitted to have received complaints about relief material being carried in bags bearing the symbol of a political party.

“It was an inadvertent mistake. The flattened rice packets that contained conch symbol have been withdrawn. The material is being dispatched to flood-affected areas again after repackaging,” said Pattnaik, while claiming that the symbol also happened to be the trademark of the manufacturer.

The flood victims, however, are not ready to buy the collector’s version. “We think all this is well planned with the panchayat polls fast approaching,” said Sumanta Mohanty from flood-hit Parakula village.

“A partisan administration has turned the system into a flood of politics. Relief has become a means of wooing people towards parties,” said Rasananda Parija, secretary of Patkura Surakhya Manch. The villagers are blaming the pliability of the administration for the ruling party’s grip on the relief operation.

“It is surprising that no government employees are accompanying these relief teams. The relief, it seems, has been handed over to the politicians without any compunction,” said Mohanty.

The ruling party men have managed to corner most of the relief material for its distribution in the villages supposed to be their strongholds.

“The BJD is running a parallel relief operation having taken over the government relief network,” alleged Bijoy Mohapatra, former minister and senior BJP leader.

The district wing president of BJD, Krutibash Patra, however, dismissed the charge as ‘frivolous’ and ‘politically-motivated’.

“Despite adverse conditions, the government machinery is doing its best. The BJD panchayati raj representatives are doing their duty in assisting the officials in ensuring hassle-free relief distribution. But this should not be construed as BJD running the show,” said Patra.

However, a senior executive of a Paradip-based industrial unit, said: “When we spoke to senior government officials expressing our desire to visit a marooned area for distributing relief, we were asked to contact a powerful BJD leader of the district and distribute relief under his direction.”

Pattnaik, on the other hand, asserted that the administration was committed to maintaining transparency in relief operations. “Our stand is non-partisan,” he said.

The Telegraph, 18 September, 2011, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110918/jsp/orissa/story_14520386.jsp


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