Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, after a week of the flood, had aerially surveyed and assessed the flood situation in Ganjam district badly hit by twin disasters; Phailin cyclone (October 12) and flood (October 24).

The water had since receded and lands have become dry in the scorching heat like in the summer days.

“What is the chief minister assessing from the sky after so many days?”  asked Madhav Sahu, a nearby villager who was collecting wood from fallen trees on national highway.

Naveen landed here at district headquarter town Chatrapur on October 31 and attended the review which started at 3.15 pm lasted for only 35 minutes.

Among those who attended the meeting were top state and district administration officials, including the chief secretary, three MPs (including one Rajya Sabha member), and almost all MLAs except Congress MLA of Sanakhemundi and BJD MLA of Chikiti (the textile minister).

However, everybody did not get the opportunity to present the situation of their respective areas. Only a few MLAs and two ministers including disaster management minister could speak at the meeting. After chief secretary’s briefing, only two ministers and MP’s, Kabisuryanagar MLA and Berhampur MLA had the chance to speak for a few minutes.

“We wanted to speak about many things; from relief to restoration, but the chief minister left hurriedly,” complained Adikanda Sethi, CPI MLA of Chatrapur.

Gopalpur MLA Pradip Panigrahi said they did not get the chance to speak at the review meeting as chief minister was to leave for capital where a meeting was scheduled with the visiting inter-ministerial central team.

Sethi lamented that neither the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) nor the state government has urged the centre to declare the disaster as ‘national calamity’. He added that health, education and other problems in rural areas should be given the priority besides restoration and rehabilitation after the cyclone and flood.

While addressing the media after the review meeting, the chief minister said that they were assessing the loss sustained due to the cyclone and flood. “The administration is looking at how the people will be provided with better sanitation and hygienic condition after natural disasters,” Patnaik said. He added that they were assessing the loss, priority being the crop loss.

Patnaik parried questions on urging the Centre to declare the situation as ‘national calamity’. He left the collectorate soon after the short interaction with the media.

Acording to an MLA who was present in the meeting, a deadline of November 17 has been set for the district administration to submit the detail report.

The chief minister also discussed in the meeting the loss in agricultural sector, restoration of electricity and government establishments especially the school buildings on war footing. It is learnt that chief minister had also asked the administration to fill the vacant posts as the manpower is needed to complete the task of relief, restoration and rehabilitation.