Rs 4L Ex-Gratia For Gajapati Landslide Victims, Relief Camps To Be Closed Today

Bhubaneswar: The state government on Sunday decided to close down relief camps in the three cyclone-hit districts of South Odisha and announced ex-gratia for the family of 16 persons, who were killed in a landslide in Gajapati district on October 11.

Talking to mediapersons here, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi said 75 families of Baraghara village had been residing in the foothills of Mahendragiri. “Following the forecast of very severe cyclonic storm by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the district administration evacuated 68 families of the village to safer places. However, seven families expressed their reluctance and told the officials that they would continue to stay in the village. “Most of the members of the seven families later died in the mishap the following night. The state government has decided to provide Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia to families of each of the deceased,” he added.

The SRC also informed that the state government has decided to stop preparing cooked food at all relief camps in the flood-affected areas by Sunday evening.

As the floodwater has subsided in Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada districts with the improvement in the weather conditions, people will return to their houses. Considering this, no cooked food will be provided in the relief camps in these districts from this evening. As decided by the state government, the affected families will be provided relief for 15 days for which the money for the 15 days will be deposited in the bank account of the family members at the rate of Rs 60 for each elderly person and Rs 45 for each child,” he said.

Stating that the flood situation in the three aforesaid districts has improved considerably, Sethi said the road connectivity to all blocks in Gajapati district has been restored. However, there has been massive damage to crops, especially the paddy, cotton and cereals in these three districts, he said, adding that the state government will take necessary steps after a proper assessment.

The SRC, in another press briefing after attending a review meeting on the post-cyclone and flood situation in the three South Odisha districts presided over by the Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi at the State Secretariat later in the day, said that the officials of the heads of the department would be sent to Gajapati district to oversee the restoration and rehabilitation work.

“It was decided that three additional ODRAF and two NDRF teams would be sent to Gajapati district,” he said.

Replying to the media report about some persons of Laxmipur panchayat in Koraput district having gone missing during the cyclonic storm, the SRC said the district administration and the police have been asked to probe the incident and submit a report at the earliest.