Over 38 lakh people marooned in Orissa Floods, Centre remains silent

When floods on Kosi river left 15 lakh marooned in Bihar, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was in tears and declared it as a "National Disaster". He lost no time to announce a package of Rs. 1000 cr flood relief to Bihar. However, Orissa is not Bihar my friend. Over 38 lakh people in Orissa are marooned by the severe floods in 18 districts of Orissa.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has already demanded a relief package of Rs. 1500 crore, but Centre remains silent. Even after a week, the Centre hasn't yet made a formal statement on the flood situation in Orissa. Will the people of Orissa forgive the UPA government for its apathy and bias???

The Congress-led UPA government at the Centre bowed to the pressure from Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. But they don't see any growth prospects in Orissa. They know Congress is a sinking boat in Orissa. Even our state Congress leaders, who blame the Naveen Patnaik government for floods, do not bother to urge the Centre to send immediate assistance. The Centre wants the BJD-BJP government in Orissa to bear the brunt of hungry and homeless people. It's all about politics.

The flood situation still remains grim in most parts of Orissa. Over 5,000 villages in 18 districts of the state are submerged. Number of the marooned people could cross 45 lakh in a day or two. The official death toll in Orissa floods is 31. But it could be well over 150. At least 73 breached have been reported in different rivers of the state.

Lord Jagannath's abode Puri has been cut off from the rest of the world. The flood water submerged some parts of capital city Bhubaneswar. On Sunday, people witnessed the tragic death of a college student Nikhil at GGP colony, Rasulgarh. Situation in Cuttack and Kendrapara districts worsened further. Indian Army and Navy have been deployed in relief and rescue operations across the state.

Even though the state government has stepped up the relief operations, millions of people are still without food and shelter. The government has instructed the district collectors to seek the help of NGOs in distributing food and relief materials. According to latest reports, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil will visit Orissa today to monitor the flood situation in the state. He is expected to announce a relief package.