The government agencies here could hardly distribute Rs 1.32 crore assistance to affected fishermen.
Unable to reach out to beneficiaries and utilize the sum, the local administration thought it prudent and refunded Rs 1.63 crore to the Centre. The rest of the sanctioned sum – nearly Rs one crore – is lying idle at the emergency department of the district administration.
The Central aid was huge by any stretch of imagination. Its judicious use would have given the much-needed boost the impoverished fishermen communities.
With successive administration ineptly handling assistance plan, funds were allowed to remain unutilized at a time when fisheries sector is passing through a torrid time following seven-month-long marine fishing ban to ensure safe nesting of olive turtles.
The October 29-30 super cyclone had brought in its wake heaps of misery to thousand of inland and marine fishermen in Mahakalpada, Rajnagar and Pattamundai tehsils.
With seaside villages bearing the brunt of cyclonic fury, the inland fishermen in general and marine fishermen in particular were badly hit with boats, nets and fishing implements damaged beyond repair.
Official sources said around Rs 1.32 crore assistance was provided to 4,261 affected fishermen in the form of boats and nets. While 2630 inland fishermen received Central aid, 1,631 marine fishermen reaped benefit under the assistance scheme.
There was widespread protest then as allegation flew thick and fast that non-fishermen became the beneficiaries-in-chief while genuine claimants were left out. The aggrieved fishermen had moved the High Court. The court had intervened asking the local administration to conduct an inquiry and drop the bogus beneficiaries. The court had also ordered genuine beneficiaries be covered under Central assistance.
A three-member committee comprising Block Development Officers of Mahakalpada, Rajnagar and district fisheries officer had accordingly conducted and submitted a joint inquiry on November 24, 2003.
But for strange reason, the findings of inquiry report are still kept under the wrap.
The reconstruction measures launched to help out the cyclone victims were marred by series of discrepancies and glaring irregularities. Political interference often took the centre stage while bureaucrats dragged their feet in sincerely implementing the number of welfare schemes.
Over one lakh IAY houses were sanctioned for cyclone affected people. But with corruption and nepotism ruling the roost, majority of genuine beneficiaries continue to languish houseless.
The inefficiency level of officialdom may be gauged from the fact that non-perishable relief goods are still hoarded in block godowns. Last year, two complaints on the theft of relief goods from the block godowns had been lodged.
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