Giving an indication of the cold war that had broken out between the Congress-led UPA at the Centre and the BJD government in Odisha in the post-cyclone Phailin period, there was little interaction between the union home secretary and the state ministers when the former visited Ganjam district on Sunday.

While union home secretary Anil Goswami met the state bureaucrats, his silence on the state government’s role during, and after, the Phailin cyclone is being seen by many as an indication on the tussle brewing between the Congress and CM Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government.

Goswami avoided the media after a review meeting at the Ganjam collectorate. In a very brief media briefing, Goswami praised only the officials, particularly administrative officers, and was silent on the state government.

Though he spoke about the prime minister and his role prior following the IMD’s forecast of Phailin assuming a massive scale – “the prime minister himself was checking from time to time,” he emphasised – Goswami did not mention Naveen Patnaik while talking to the media. His only reference to the Patnaik government during the short interaction with the media was that the state government and the Centre “coordinated well” to save thousands of lives.

While almost all high-ranking administrative and police officials, including the state director general of police (DGP), were present during Goswami’s visit, no state politician, barring former deputy speaker of Odisha assembly Ram Chandra Panda, was present. Panda met Goswami at the Collectorate and submitted a memorandum urging him to take steps in allotting a special package for farmers, financial assistance to the fishermen, a marine drive road in the coastal area since the district is prone to natural disasters, and long-term restoration and rehabilitation work to be taken up on war footing.   

Significantly, several Odisha ministers, including those of cabinet rank, were in cyclone-ravaged areas of Ganjam district on Sunday, albeit without the company of top officials, as is the usual practice. Commenting on the situation, an administrative officer (name withheld on request) quipped, “We are facing mini-cyclones even now, as we cannot accompany the ministers during their visits.”

Goswami, who said Ganjam district bore the worst brunt of Phailin, was at the district headquarter Chatrapur to take stock of the cyclone. After an aerial survey of Phailin-hit areas of the district accompanied by Odisha DGP Prakash Mishra, the union home secretary met officials, including Ganjam district collector Dr Krishan Kumar, and reviewed the situation.

Krishan Kumar is learnt to have presented details of the natural disaster and losses that have occurred in Phailin-ravaged Ganjam during a closed-door meeting.

“As per the estimation of losses submitted by various departments, the public loss was to the tune of Rs 1,550 crore. (More) details are awaited,” Goswami said. He also said that as per the Ganjam district administration’s report, more than 2.40 lakh people are homeless as a result of Phailin. “Berhampur University vice-chancellor has also submitted a report about losses on the campus and the district administration is examining it,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government on Sunday demanded Rs 4,242.41 crore from the central government for restoration work in Phailin-affected areas. Chief secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra handed over a memorandum to the union home secretary in Bhubaneswar. Goswami also met chief minister Naveen Patnaik and later said the Centre would examine the memorandum before releasing any assistance to the state.