The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has slammed the state government for mismanagement in Phailin restoration and relief works in its audit report for social sector prepared for the year 2014.
"There was delay of six to nine months in providing relief to affected people and dal being basic food, was not distributed in relief operation," it said.
Tropical storm Phailin had made a landfall in south Odisha coast in October 2013. However, the lists of affected farmers was not prepared until April 2014. The report noted that even after lapse of six months of Phailin and subsequent floods, no assistance could be provided to the farmers for loss of crops over 5.56 lakh hectare farm land.
To avoid loss of human lives ahead of the Phailin landfall, the state government had undertaken a massive evacuation drive in which over a million people residing near coastal areas were taken to safe locations through air and vehicle support.
The United National had lauded the state government for its efforts to save human lives. The audit agency said, the government failed to save lives of animals in the catastrophic cyclone.
"Though the state government could save human life through early warning system and evacuation to safer places, more could have been done to save the livestock which is main livelihood of the affected population," it observed.
The state government had instructed Chief District Veterinary Officers to move domestic animals to safe places ahead of the cyclone. However, the audit noted that the officers simply conveyed the message to the people and did not take any action, resulting in loss of 21,305 animal lives in Puri, Ganjam and Balasore district.
It said, the government overestimated the number of persons evacuated. While district records showed a total of 1.5 million people were evacuated, government reported evacuation of 1.1 million persons. The state government has admitted that there was over-reporting of evacuation figures and it should be ignored given the size of human mobilisation, the report said. Even in case of restoration of road, power and drinking water facility, the government failed miserably, the CAG report observed. In one instance, the auditor found out that a road in Balasore district was unfit for use till May 2014, while the state government had communicated that all roads will be restored by the end of April 2014. CAG found out that out of Rs 238.71 crore donated to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, Rs 168.67 crore was retained without utilisation.
In its recommendation, the CAG said, the state government must take adequate measures in strengthening state and district level disaster management authorities by recruiting more staff and should also create a monitoring mechanism for relief and restoration works to avoid delays and errors.
