Balasore: Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on Thursday visited the flood-affected areas of Baliapal in Balasore district and assured the people that the government will take necessary steps to address their concerns.
She travelled by powerboat from Bhograi to Baliapal and reached Chaudhuri Kud village under Madhupura Panchayat, where she visited the Chaudhuri Kud Primary School, currently functioning as a flood relief shelter.
During her visit, local residents spoke to the Deputy Chief Minister about their problems. They demanded the construction of a flyover bridge on the Chaudhuri Kud–Panchurukhi road, compensation for farmers who lost their crops, and the repair of damaged roads and embankments. Parida assured them that these issues would be taken seriously and that the government would look into them once the flood situation improves.
Speaking to reporters, Parida said that floodwaters have entered the area twice in the last ten days, and people have reported heavy losses in vegetable cultivation.
She added that arrangements have been made to shelter around 1,000 people at the relief camp and that cooked food is being provided. She said there are no complaints regarding the availability of relief materials.
She also said she has instructed the administration to carry out rehabilitation work for affected families once the floodwater recedes.
Parida was accompanied by Balasore MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Basta MLA Subasini Jena, Nilagiri MLA Santosh Kumar Khatua, Balasore Sadar MLA Manas Ranjan Datta, Balasore District Collector Suryawanshi Mayur Vikas, and local BJP leaders.