Hundreds of uprooted trees strewn along the Konark-Puri marine drive bear testimony to the devastation wreaked by cyclone Fani in Puri district five years ago. The gale damaged thousands of houses, flattened standing crops and left many without any means of survival.
Today, the roofs of many cyclone-damaged houses still lie covered with tarpaulin as the wait for “adequate” compensation gets longer. There is palpable anger against, what the cyclone victims call the “apathy” of the authorities towards them.
“See I have been living in this house for the last five years with a piece of tarpaulin serving as roof. Can this protect us from the sun and rain?” fumes 60-year-old Benu Kar at Nuapatna village in Brahmagiri. “There have been so many surveys and we have written to the block authorities several times but nothing has changed. We will teach them a lesson this time.”
Benu Kar of Nuapatna village in Puri district. Picture by Subhashish Mohanty
Nuapatna is the most politically sensitive area of this Lok Sabha constituency where Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate Arup Patnaik, a former Mumbai police commissioner, is locking horns with BJP’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra. Congress candidate and former journalist Sucharita Mohanty, who has in the past contested the seat, albeit unsuccessfully, is already being seen as an also-ran.
Benu is not the only one complaining about the state government’s indifference. Krushna Chandra Swain is also awaiting assistance to reconstruct his house.
“Government officials have visited our village four to five times. They have seen the damage for themselves and assured us of assistance. But all we have got is ₹1,000, which is like rubbing salt into our wounds. The cyclone has changed our perception of this government. We want change,” says Swain, whose sentiments are echoed by many others in the village.
There is simmering discontent against the BJD government even in villages like Chhaitana where most people have lost hope of receiving compensation to rebuild their houses.
Many have already reconstructed their dwellings with their own resources.
“How long can we wait? So we thought it better to do the repair work with our own money. The government gave me ₹2,000 which is ridiculous considering my loss,” says Baidhar Barik, a marginal farmer.
For fishermen in Puri’s Noliasahi, cyclone Fani caused extensive damage. Aeripelli Pamapati, who goes out to the sea every morning to try his luck, seems disillusioned with the elections but Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik is still in his good books.
“What will I get by voting? I am more worried about improving my fish catch. No one compensated us for the losses caused by Fani which damaged our houses, boats and nets. People here are talking of a change but there is still some sympathy for Naveen Patnaik who is a good man. He has been giving poor people rice for Re 1 per kg and providing them health cards for free treatment,” says Pamapati.
Fisherman Aeripelli Pamapati next to his boat. Picture by Subhashish Mohanty
The anger against the Odisha government notwithstanding, there is widespread acknowledgement of its welfare schemes like cheap rice, old age pension and, most importantly, the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) cards through which men can avail of free treatment in any hospital up to ₹5 lakh and women upto ₹10 lakh.
Suresh Kumar Behera of Solapur village said: “The health scheme has been a boon for poor villagers. I have been able to treat the breast cancer of my wife. Which government will take care of its people in this manner?”
Hijratun Bibi, a former ward member, is also miffed by the government’s “failure” to come to her aid in the wake of the cyclone but says she would still vote for Naveen’s party as his government’s schemes are taking care of the poor. “He is a good person,” says the 62-year-old, “but his partymen in different areas do a lot of underhand dealing. We hope he saves us from these middlemen.”
Muslims appear to be in favour of the BJD though many of them are critical of the chief minister for supporting the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre on controversial issues such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
“We did not expect this from him but we will still vote for him as we have no other option. While going with the BJP is out of the question for us, we will not opt for the Congress as that would mean wasting our vote. It is going to lose in any case.
“So for us, Naveen’s party remains the best choice. His schemes take care of all and he listens to us. He may have supported the BJP on certain issues but he is not blatantly communal like them,” says Mohammad Javed Akhtar.
The multi-crore Parikrama project around the 12th century Jagannath temple in Puri town is also working to the BJD’s advantage with visitors duly impressed with the change it has brought in the environs of the famous shrine with beautiful pathways and lighting arrangement around it.
The Puri Shreemandira Heritage Corridor. Picture by Sarat Kumar Patra
“Puri’s development is for anyone to see. The people are happy and tourism has picked up. People are happy with Naveen but are against the local leaders,” says hotelier Ramkrushna Das Mohapatra.
Puri votes on May 25
