Odisha: Congress seeks Rs 20 lakh compensation for landslide victims’ families and farm loan waiver for farmers

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha unit of the Congress on Friday demanded compensation of at least Rs 20 lakh for the next of kin of those killed in landslides caused by Cyclone Arnab, which struck neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and severely affected the southern parts of the eastern state. The opposition party also sought a complete waiver of agricultural loans for farmers in Ganjam district, saying the cyclone and the subsequent floods had devastated crops and badly hit livelihoods. The demands were put forward by Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das, who led a party delegation during a visit to flood-hit Ganjam district.

Das met the families of those killed and injured in a landslide at Ghidipabali village under Bhanjanagar block, along the Kandhamala-Ganjam district border. The meeting took place on the premises of Bajrakota Upper Primary School. An official said at least seven bodies had been recovered from the landslide site in the hilltop village, while search and rescue operations were still on to trace six missing persons.

Initially, 13 people were reported missing after the landslide struck the village on the night of October 28, while 13 others managed to escape. So far, seven bodies have been recovered, the official added. In another landslide in Raikia block of Kandhamala district, a couple and their child were killed during the cyclone.

Of the 11 deaths reported in Odisha due to Cyclone Arnab, 10 were caused by landslides, while one person was swept away by floodwaters in Gajapati district. “We demand Rs 20 lakh in compensation and rehabilitation for each family of landslide victims, along with assistance for those injured in the incident,” Das said in a statement. The Congress leader also met the families of two farmers who allegedly died by suicide after suffering crop losses because of the disaster.

After touring Asika, Bhanjanagar, Sorada and Sheragada blocks, Das said Ganjam was among the worst-hit districts and claimed that the cyclone and floods may have caused damage worth Rs 5,000 crore, including losses to crops and property. The Congress delegation also visited flooded markets and business establishments, spoke with traders and assessed the scale of the damage. According to the party, preliminary estimates showed that businesses in Asika alone had suffered losses of more than Rs 1,000 crore.

The delegation further alleged that cooked food distribution had stopped in several places and that many relief centres lacked enough space and basic facilities for the people staying there. Das said the Rs 2,526 crore sought by the state government from the Centre would not be enough to meet the needs of those affected by the floods. He demanded compensation for at least 50 per cent of the value of damaged crops, calculated on the basis of the Minimum Support Price, a full waiver of farm loans in Ganjam district, and temporary free bus services in flood-hit areas.

Das and the Congress delegation are scheduled to visit Gajapati district on Saturday. Orissa POST – Odisha’s No.1 English Daily