Odisha: Dharmendra Pradhan visits cyclone affected Gajapati district

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday visited the cyclone-affected Gajapati district in Odisha. 

Pradhan took stock of the situation and spoke to people about the damaged caused in the district. 

Pradhan also took a stock of restoration work being done in the area.

Cyclone Titli had affected the are of Gajapati earlier in October. It has been eight days since it made a landfall. 

Talking about the situation in the district, Pradhan said, "electricity hasn't been restored, people haven't been given proper relief, the situation isn't good." 

Urging the state government to help the people here, Pradhan said that the administrator was nowhere to be found. "Administrator is nowhere to be seen. I request the state government to help people," news agency ANI quoted Pradhan.

The Odisha government on Thursday said cyclone Titli and subsequent floods caused a loss of about Rs 2,765 crore and affected 60.11 lakh people.

Apart from severe damage to infrastructure, the cyclone and floods have taken 57 lives, officials said.

Ahead of submitting a memorandum to the Central government to seek interim assistance for cyclone and floods, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said the twin calamity caused an estimated loss of over Rs 2,765 crore.

Petroleum and Natural Gas minister also visited Manikapatna and Khambagaon villages and met the affected people before proceeding to Laxmipur and Kainpur panchayats in the district, said state BJP general secretary Bhrugu Baxipatra. 

(With Agency Inputs)