Former finance minister Manmohan Singh has indicated that the relief measures promised by the Vajpayee government for cyclone-hit Orissa have remained only on paper.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, dated November 8, the leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha reminded the Centre that repair and restoration of vital communication links such as railways, national highways and telecommunications were the direct responsibility of the Centre.
Besides, the Centre should also assist the state government in repairing electrical installations that have been extensively damaged.
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Singh has raised doubts as to whether the Rs 500 crore promised by the Centre to the Orissa government was being treated as a grant or, bulk of it was advance release of the state's share of Central taxes and advance Plan assistance.
Referring to the meeting with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in which Congress president Sonia Gandhi and deputy leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Madhavrao Scindia were also present along with him, Singh recalled that finance minister Yashwant Sinha had promised to consider treating the entire assistance as grant. "I would be grateful if you would let us know the final decision of the government in this regard," Singh stated.
Singh recalled that Sinha had also promised to approach international financial institutions and other international agencies for assistance, as in the case of the Latur earthquake and Andhra Pradesh cyclone.
Releasing Manmohan Singh's letter to the press, Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi accused the ruling BJP of politicising the cyclone. He repeated the party's demand that the Centre declare the Orissa cyclone as a national disaster.
The Congres