Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has deployed four IAS officers to oversee damage assessment, relief distribution and restoration of essential infrastructure in cyclone-affected districts, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said on Tuesday.
The officers have been vested with the powers of Additional Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) and will remain in their respective districts until all repair and restoration work is completed, the minister told reporters.
Of the four officers, two have been assigned to Ganjam, while Gajapati and Kandhamala will have one officer each.
Dr Rina Pradhan, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the District Mineral Foundation in Kendujhar, has been assigned to Gajapati district.
Ajit Kumar, Additional District Magistrate of Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district, and Tejaswini Behera, Sub-Collector (Sadar), Sundaragada, have been assigned to Ganjam district.
Shiv Malviya, currently serving as the Sub-Collector and Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Baleshwar, has been assigned to Kandhamala district.
The officers will focus on three key areas: assessment of cyclone-related damage, effective implementation of the relief package announced by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and immediate repair and restoration of damaged infrastructure, Pujari said.
Meanwhile, the state government has stepped up its preparedness to deal with Cyclone Murasu, deploying 54 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and more than 100 fire service teams across vulnerable locations.
Of the 54 ODRAF teams, 32 have been deployed in Ganjam, nine in Gajapati, four in Kandhamala, three each in Malkangiri and Koraput, and three in Rayagada, the minister said.
The teams have been strategically positioned and will respond immediately wherever required. Senior officials of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, who were earlier assigned to vulnerable areas, are also assisting the respective district administrations, he said.
Schools and colleges will remain closed until November 3 as a precautionary measure, Pujari added.
Referring to the damage caused by the previous cyclone, Arnab, the minister said several houses and agricultural fields had been affected. The government has announced a relief package for the affected people, while restoration work is underway to repair damaged roads and restore electricity and water supplies.
“While Cyclone Arnab has ended, another cyclone, Murasu, is approaching. We are prepared across different districts to deal with the situation,” he said.
The government is focusing on ensuring that all affected people receive the announced assistance and that damaged infrastructure is restored at the earliest, Pujari added.
