UPA has no concern for flood-hit

BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Saturday deprecated the UPA Government at Centre for its lack of concern for the flood affected people of the State and blasted the Naveen Patnaik Government for its failure in relief operations and restoration works. ‘A national delegation of the BJP will meet the Prime Minister shortly and demand a special package for the State which is devastated by floods,’ deputy leader of the BJP in Loka Sabha Gopinath Munde told media persons here.  He accused the Centre of discriminating Orissa while states like Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal have received huge central assistance to meet their calamity situations. ‘It is matter of regret that the Centre has not extended any financial assistance to the State even after the visit of an inter-ministerial team for damage assessment,’ Munde remarked.  Responding to a query, the senior BJP leader said the BJP delegation will meet the Prime Minister within a week and press for immediate central assistance to Orissa to handle the post-flood situation. In case of delay in announcing a special package for the State, the BJP will rake up the issue in the winter session of the Parliament, he said.  After visiting flood affected areas of Kanas block of Puri district, Munde said the relief measures by the State Government was not adequate. Affected families complained that they are going without food and work. ‘The State Government seems to have taken the situation very casually,’ he remarked.  Describing the flood damage as massive, Munde said that paddy crops were completely washed away and vast streches of paddy fields are still inundated with water.  The affected families are yet to be provided with housing assistance while fishermen families are starving without any alternative source of earning. Most of the families have lost their boat and fishing net. The Government should immediately provide assistance to the traditional fishermen who have lost their livelihood in the flood.  Munde further suggested the Government to find a permanent solution to the flood which is a regular feature in the state. The time has come for the Centre to seriously ponder over the river linking programme mooted by the NDA Government.  Leading a separate team, BJP’s Orissa-in-charge and former union minister Santosh Ganwar visited some flood affected areas of Jajpur district. He said some areas of the district are still cut off as the Government has failed to restore the damaged roads.