SP demands President's rule in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Sep 28 (UNI)The Orissa unit of the Samajwadi Party has demanded dismissal of the BJD-BJP alliance government in the state and imposition of President's Rule for relief mismanagement in the flood hit areas and abetting communal riots in Kandhamal.

Party National General Secretary A Dhali, state unit President Kailash Mishra and General Secretary Rabi Behera who met Orissa Governor M C Bhandare here on September 26 submitted a memorandum stating that though the meteorological department had predicted on September 12 the possibility of a high flood, the government ignored the warning for three days and took no preventive measures.

Neither the state-level calamity committee was convened nor the cabinet met as the Chief Minister was busy in campaigning for elections to the urban local bodies.

On the contrary,the memorandum alleged, a verbal instruction was given to the Hirakud Dam authority not to open any gate till the ULB elections was over on September 19.

Later the Dam authorities opened 46 gates which brought deluge in the Mahandi river system in undivided Cuttack, Puri and Balasore causing heavy loss of life and property.

The memorandum alleged that the action was a calculated move of the ruling alliance government to consolidate their vote bank and capture power by giving doles to the distress.

The party demanded a CBI inquiry into the monitoring and mismanagement of flood water in Mahandi river system, relief and rescue operation, formation of an all party Relief Committee to ensure relief and rescue and reconstruction operation, exemption of fees of students in flood affected areas and a compensation of Rs five lakh to the families of those killed in flood.

The memorandum also alleged that violence continued to rock Kandhamal where over 20,000 people were still in relief camps as the government failed to contain the communal strife.

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