Naveen Patnaik govt failed to pay enough attention to Cyclone Titli: Opposition

Cyclone Titli: The BJD dismissed Opposition's charge as "cheap politics" and claimed that the rescue operations were on in full swing in the state.

Boats being moved to a safer place after Titli struck Ganjam. (Photo: Reuters)

While the Odisha government on Monday claimed that relief works have brought normalcy to the places hit hardest by Cyclone Titli, opposition parties have accused Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of not paying enough attention to last week’s natural calamity. The death toll rose to 27 in Odisha on Monday evening, even as rescue operations are underway, PTI reported.

Referring to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s appearance on a television game show, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Niranjan Patnaik on Monday tweeted: As people in Aska and other parts of CM’s home district, Ganjam suffer the aftermath of #CycloneTitli due to the mismanagement of BJD govt., one wonders where is the CM? Can he only be reached through “Phone a Friend” on Kaun Banega Crorepati?

Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also slammed the CM on the same issue. Claiming that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s slogan of “zero casualties” remained only in pen and paper, he said it was unfortunate that Patnaik was “busy in a photo shoot” for Men’s Hockey World Cup when the people of the state were in distress. Pradhan also hit out at Cooperation Minister Surya Narayan Patro, who claimed in an interview that the death toll in Titli was significantly less in comparison with 170 deaths in the United States during comparable natural calamities.

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Dismissing the Opposition’s charge as “cheap politics”, the BJD clarified that television shoot took place days earlier. “If the Opposition wishes to criticize they are free to do so. We are busy with relief and restoration works,” Patnaik said.

The Odisha government has also provided an update on the post-cyclone situation. “Other than Malkangiri and Gajapati, no other district has received rainfall in the last 24 hours. Rivers are flowing below the danger mark. There is marked improvement in Ganjam district”, said Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi. “Aska has seen restoration of water and power supply. Purushottampur is also largely normalized”, Sethi said, referring to the worst hit areas. Chief Secretary Aditya Padhi visited Gajapati district to oversee relief work.

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