BJD chief Naveen Patnaik to visit cyclone flood-hit Ganjam on Saturday

    Bhubaneswar, Nov 6 (PTI) BJD president and former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to undertake a one-day tour of cyclone and flood-hit Ganjam district, including his own assembly constituency, Hinjili, on Saturday, the party said.

    The BJD, in a post on X, said Patnaik is scheduled to visit Hinjili, Sheragada, Aska and Sorada blocks in the district, which were hit by Cyclone Arnab and the subsequent floods, causing severe damage and affecting a large number of people.

    Patnaik's absence from his home district during the calamity has been questioned by the ruling BJP, and some people in Hinjili also launched a 'missing person' poster campaign. The poster said that the people of Hinjili want to see their MLA during the difficult time when they faced the cyclone and floods and lost their homes and livelihoods.

    During the visit, Patnaik is expected to interact with affected residents, assess the extent of damage to homes, crops, and infrastructure, and review ongoing relief and restoration efforts.

    The Leader of the Opposition has already expressed deep concern over the hardships faced by people in Ganjam. He had earlier spoken to the district collector and deputed a BJD team to assess the ground situation.

    However, his personal visit aims to focus on standing with the people of the district during this difficult time.

    The flood in Ganjam was the worst of its kind in recent years, as all the blocks were affected, disrupting road connectivity, damaging houses and affecting livelihoods. Relief camps have been set up, essentials distributed and restoration work undertaken, with the situation gradually improving in many areas.

    Meanwhile, an eight-member central team has visited the cyclone and flood-hit areas, and the state government has submitted a memorandum seeking Rs 2,526 crore assistance for the relief and restoration work in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts.

    Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das visited flood-hit Ganjam on Thursday and said, "On the second day of our visit to Ganjam, we toured Aska town and interacted with residents and business owners to assess the damage to their livelihoods and properties. Witnessing the devastation, we demand Rs 5,000 crore in central assistance and declaration of the floods as a national calamity to ensure comprehensive relief and rehabilitation."

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)