Kendrapara: Although 12 days have passed after severe cyclonic storm Fani devastated the Dalit hamlet of Mangalpur Gheri Harijansahi, the villagers have not got the relief rice and polythene sheets from the district administration.
The cyclonic devastation can still be seen in the hamlet. Life has become hell for these villagers as they are struggling to pick up their lives in the scorching heat. For the time being they have covered their damaged thatched roofs with torn polythene sheets.
The Dalit villagers said the cyclonic storm wreaked havoc in their hamlet, and it is one of the worst hit villages in Derabish block. Around 15 thatched houses were damaged as the wind blew away their roofs and five thatched houses collapsed. Several trees in the village were also damaged.
The poor villagers used to make a living either as tenant farmers or as share-croppers. The storm destroyed the green gram and black gram crops of the villagers, Tukuna Mallick, a local, said.
As the hamlet is located in a low lying area, the village was evacuated and the villagers are now staying at the local school. They have been provided biscuits, beaten rice and cooked meals at the evacuation centre. But they have not got the relief material promised by the government.
“We got 5 kg rice per head and Rs 500 as assistance. Nothing else was given to us. We didn’t get the relief kerosene,” the villagers said.
They had approached the local sarpanch and BDO of Derabish in vain to get polythene sheets to make their damaged thatched houses inhabitable.
The government’s special relief package of an extra one month quota of rice for NFSA and SFSA cardholders have not been provided to the Dalits here. The district administration has also failed to hold an enquiry about damaged houses and destruction of crops, the villagers said.
“We have cleared the uprooted trees and branches from the road and have also connected electricity to our houses,” said Manguli Mallick, a villager.
The villagers demanded that the local administration should provide them polythene sheets and the government’s relief material, and hold an enquiry regarding their damaged houses and crops.
BDO Gopabandhu Bhosagar said three days’ supplies and CM’s relief material were supplied to the village. But the relief rice meant for NFSA and SFSA beneficiaries have not been provided to them as the stocked rice was diverted for providing relief to people creating a shortage of rice at dealer points. The block administration has sent the rice Tuesday to dealer points. The rice would be distributed within a day or two to NFSA and SFSA beneficiaries, the BDO said.
Polythene sheets are available, but they would be distributed after two days when the inquiry by a joint verification team, consisting of officials from the tehsil, veterinary, horticulture, and agriculture departments is over. The team has been assessing the damage to houses, crops and livestock. Of the 157 villages, the survey is over in 113 villages and within a few days it would end. After that polythene sheets and assistance to repair houses would be provided, the BDO added.
PNN