Festival time brings back Phailin memories

As Odisha soaks in festive spirit, Laxmi Das of Jagadalapur in Ganjam district has little to cheer about as Durga Puja haunts her with memories of devastation caused by cyclone Phailin just before the festival last year.
She says she had lost her hut and belongings. "I will never forget the day when we lost everything," said Laxmi, a daily-wage labourer, with tears welling up in her eyes.
Like Laxmi's, several houses in her village under Kukudakhandi block were flattened in the Phailin, which had landfall near Gopalpur on October 12, a day before Dusshera.
Even a year after the calamity, around 30 families are living in makeshift houses. "We have no money to rebuild houses," said Bapi Nayak, a villager, adding, "The amount provided by the government is too less."

Similarly, around 30 families of Chandapur village in Kanishi block are also living in makeshift huts since the cyclone. "We got Rs 1,900 for reconstruction, but it is not sufficient," said a villager.
The opposition political parties have taken up the issue to hit out at the state government. "The government has completely ignored families, who lost their houses in Phailin. Many victims are still living under polythene sheets because they have not got Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) houses," alleged BJP leader Bibhuti Jena.

"I have apprised the district administration about the plight of these victims several times," said zilla parishad member Damburu Reddy of BJP.

Official statistics showed around 2.38 lakh houses were damaged in Ganjam district in Phailin. "We have compensated almost all victims in tune with the relief code," Ganjam district Collector Prem Chand Chaudhary said.
The fully-damaged huts are being rebuilt under IAY and 'Mo Kudia' (renamed as Biju Pucca Ghara Yojana) schemes. The government recently sanctioned as many as 7,200 special IAY and 2,000 Mo Kudia houses for the district, the collector added.