Cong brings relief loot slur against BJD leaders

Odisha Congress today alleged that relief materials meant to be distributed among 40,000-odd evacuees here during the cyclone were looted by some BJD corporators and the affected people were left to fend for themselves.
The Cuttack city Congress lodged a written complaint in Purighat police station of the city alleging that some ruling party corporators, at the behest of senior BJD leaders, have looted the relief items that were procured to distribute among the cyclone affected people.
Congress leaders in their complaint have urged the police to investigate into the allegation and take appropriate action against the looters as per the law.

The copies of the complaint have also been submitted to the central division RDC Arvind Padhee, Cuttack Municipal Commissioner (CMC) commissioner, ADM (relief) and vigilance SP for appropriate actions at their ends.
The district administration had claimed that nearly 40,000 people from low-lying areas of the city were evacuated to safer places and four free kitchens were opened to provide cooked food to all these evacuees for three days.
"Accordingly, the relief items arrived at the CMC office on Saturday morning and soon some ruling party corporators took them on several vehicles after threatening the CMC officials. No relief was provided even for a day to any of the evacuees who were settled at various shelter homes in the city," the Congress leaders alleged.

Reacting to the complaint, the local BJD legislator Debashis Samantray also opined that there should be a proper investigation into the allegations and stringent action should be taken against the corporators, whether they are from ruling parties or from any other parties. "CMC doesn't have corporators only from BJD," Samantray said.