Ruling BJD plays politics on flood victims-Congress

Balasore, Jun 29 (UNI) The Congress party has alleged the ruling BJD was playing politics at the cost of the sufferings of flood affected people.

Balasore district Congress leaders headed by Sanjib Giri and Santosh Das have condemned the airdropping by BJD leader and parliament member Baijyanti Panda.

They said the BJD was politicising the flood situation at a time when thousands of people were suffering. They said despite the demand from the local people adequate provision for drainage in NH 60 was not made which led to the devastating flood in the area.

The Congress leaders threatened to resort to economic blockade on NH 60 and NH 5 if their demand was not conceded to.

They criticised the district administration for its failure to repair the breaches on NH 60 and put barricades at the breach as a safety measure which resulted in the death of son of a Congress leader.

The government also failed to keep its promise to ferry the people free, they alleged Meanwhile, authorities from the National Highway Authority of India, Army and district administration had visited the breach site yesterday to assess the situation for the restoration of the communication network on NH60.

But the villagers demanded the authorities to make adequate drainage provision before restoration work.

Bhogarai MLA and BJD district unit President Ananta Das demanded the centre to rectify the technical defects on NH60 and to take up the multipurpose Subarnarekha project involving Orissa Jharkhand and West Bengal to control the flood.

Mr Das said the air dropping of food packets by BJD leader Baijant Panda was done in his individual capacity and the party had nothing to do with it.

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