Representatives of various people’s organisations have demanded that a special audit be conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on accounts pertaining to Hudhud relief.
It was unfortunate that the government organised celebrations to mark the first anniversary of Hudhud at a time when a majority of the poor, who had suffered extensive damage, were yet to receive compensation, they said at a media conference here on Tuesday.
The government should come out with a white paper on where the funds allocated by the Centre, as also those given by donors both in India and abroad, towards Hudhud relief had gone.
E.A.S. Sarma of Forum for Better Visakha (FBV) said that a number of voluntary organisations and individuals had given donations of Rs.260 crore, and the State government announced that houses would be constructed for the affected persons with the amount.
Stating that surveys conducted by officials put the number of houses damaged in the city at over one lakh, Mr. Sarma, who is also a retired IAS officer, said that till date 52,000 person were not given compensation on the pretext that they had no ration card, Aadhaar card, bank account etc. Pushcart vendors and auto-rickshaw drivers were also yet to receive any relief, he said. Similarly, a majority of fishermen, barring a few boat owners, were not paid compensation so far. Fish vendors were not paid compensation on the pretext that their societies had not been registered.
Global warming
Scientific studies in the past predicted that there would a 50 per cent increase in the intensity of cyclones in future as a result of global warming. The World Bank Annual Report of 2012 had also warned that the intensity of cyclones in South Asia, particularly in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, would increase. Concentration of polluting industries, and destruction of forests and mangroves were the another causes, Mr. Sarma said.
M. Lakshmi of Progressive Organisation of Women, J.V. Ratnam of Green Climate, P.V. Ramana of association fighting against privatisation, Teddu Shankar of Fishermen Youth Association, Ravi of Murikiwada Nivasula Sankshema Sangham, and P. Vasu of ARTD were present.
