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Lok Sabha Debates

Discussion Regarding Loss Of Life And Property Due To Super Cyclone In Orissa And ... on 29 November, 1999

Title: Discussion regarding loss of life and property due to super cyclone in Orissa and the need to declare it as a National calamity.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Now we shall take up discussion under rule 193.

श्री रवि प्रकाश वर्मा (खीरी) : माननीय उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, जैसी कि आज सदन के प्रथम दिवस पर ही, हमारे सभी माननीय सदस्यों की भावना थी, उस विषय पर बोलने के लिए आपने मुझे सर्वप्रथम अवसर दिया है, इसके लिए धन्यवाद। इस शताब्दी के अन्त में जिस महानतम चक़वात, सबसे खतरनाक चक़वात, ने हिन्दुस्तान के उड़ीसा प्रान्त को हिट किया उसमें हम सभी लोग जानते हैं और जैसा अखबारों में भी बताया जा रहा है लगभग एक करोड़ से अधिक जनसंख्या सीधे-सीधे प्रभावित हुई है और अन-ऑफीशियल सोर्सेस कह रहे हैं कि लाखों आदमियों का पता नहीं है। उसमें १० हजार से अधिक मौत हुई हैं। जो जन-धन की हानि हुई है वह बहुत ही व्यापक है। उसके बारे में यहां बयान नहीं किया जा सकता। लेकिन सबसे महत्वपूर्ण बात यह है कि जो समुद्र के किनारे के आठ-नौ जिले हैं, भद्रक, जाजपुर, बालासोर, केन्द्रपाड़ा, कटक, खुद्दा, पारादीप, जगतसिंहपुर और पुरी जिले सबसे ज्यादा प्रभावित हुए हैं और उनका पूर्णत: नाश हुआ है, बल्िक यह कहा जाए कि यहां सर्वनाश हुआ है, तो कोई अतिशयोकित नहीं होगी। हम सब लोग उनके विनाश की लीला अखबारों में पढ़ते रहे हैं। हमारी सहानुभूति और संवेदनाएं उनके साथ हैं, लेकिन जो घटना घटी, तूफान आया, उसके बाद की स्िथति सबसे वचित्र है। हम लोगों ने देखा है कि हमारे हिन्दुस्तान में जो घटनाएं घटती हैं, चाहे भूकम्प की घटना हो, चाहे चक़वात हो, उसके बाद की स्िथति बड़ी भयावह हो जाती है। अभी गुजरात में पिछले दिनों एक ऐसी घटना घटी और तूफान के कारण व्यापक जन-धन की हानि हुई। उसी प्रकार उड़ीसा में भी काफी व्यापक चक़वात आया। सबसे गौर करने लायक बात यह है जैसे हमारे जॉर्ज फर्नान्डीज ने कुछ दिन पहले बयान दिया था जिसके अनुसार ४०० गांव ऐसे हैं जहां तक सहायता ही नहीं पहुंची। सरकारी मशीनरी सहायता के लिए पहुंच ही नहीं सकी। सबसे महत्वपूर्ण बात यह है कि आज हमारी जो प्रशासनिक व्यवस्था है, वह परीक्षा की कसौटी पर कसी जा रही है और उसके सामने यह सबसे बड़ी चुनौती आई है जिसे उसे पूरा करना है। जैसा कि हम सभी अखबारों के माध्यम से जानते हैं और जो हमारे भाई उड़ीसा प्रान्त से आते हैं वे महसूस करते हैं कि इस प्रकार के जो चक़वात हैं या जो घटनाक़म घटता है, उसके बाद जिस प्रकार की सहानुभूति और संवेदना की आवश्यकता होती है, वह नहीं मिल पाती है। मुझे लगता है कि हमारे पूरे देश ने उस इन्टैंसिटी में नहीं किया है जिसमें करना चाहिए था। हालांकि प्रशासनिक विफलता भी सामने है। यह अवगत कराया गया है कि वहां पर सामग्री भरी हुई है। विदेशों से भी सहायता आई है और हमारे हिन्दुस्तानी भाइयों ने भी सहायता भेजी है लेकिन जो प्रशासनिक मशीनरी है, वह आज की तारीख तक कुशल साबित नहीं हुई है। जो घटनाक़म घटा है और उसके जो इम्पैकट समाज के ऊपर, जनता के ऊपर पड़े हैं, उनकी तकलीफ को दूर करने में सहायक सिद्ध नहीं हुए हैं। हालांकि प्रयास हुए हैं। हमने कई बार टी.वी. पर भी देखा और अखबारों में भी पढ़ा कि सरकार ने अपने स्तर से सहायता पहुंचाने का प्रयास किया है लेकिन दूसरी तरफ अखबारों में रोज निकल रहा है, "इंडिया टुडे" मैगजीन में निकल रहा है, दूसरे अखबारों में निकल रहा है कि वहां चक़वात से प्रभावित लोगों की हालत बहुत खराब है। उनकी हालत लगातार हमारे सामने आ रही है। सबसे बुरी स्िथति यह है कि इस चक़वात के बाद वहां जो अराजकता की स्िथति सामने आयी है, लूटपाट के किस्से सामने आये हैं, मनमानी के किस्से सामने आये हैं, उससे बार-बार यह महसूस होता रहा है कि हमारी जो सबसे रिलायबल प्रशासनिक प्रणाली मानी जाती है, आज उसकी जो परफोर्मैंस हैं, योग्यता है, क्षमता है, उस पर हमें पुनर्िवचार करने की आवश्यकता है। ऐसी जितनी भी घटनायें होती हैं चाहे भूकम्प हो, चक़वात हो या हिमपात हो, उन सबको रोकना हमारे वश में नहीं है। वहां जो बचे हुए लोग हैं, उनके प्रति हमारा और प्रशासन का जो नजरिया है, उससे बहुत कुछ साबित होता है। जैसा कि बार-बार कहा जा रहा है कि बहुत से ऐसे गांव हैं जो टोटली खत्म हो गये हैं और बहुत से ऐसे गांव हैं जहां पर प्रशासिनक मशीनरी पहुंच नहीं सकी है। ऐसी हालत में मैं माननीय प्रधान मंत्री तथा ग्ृाह मंत्री जी का ध्यान इस तरफ खींचना चाहता हूं कि उस राज्य के अंदर युद्ध स्तर पर विशेष प्रयास किये जाने की आवश्यकता है। हालांकि वहां सेनायें भेजी गई हैं तथा बहुत से प्रांतों से वालंटियर्स भी गये हैं लेकिन इतना समय बीत जाने के बाद भी आज जो स्िथति सामने आ रही है, जो तथ्य सामने आ रहे हैं, उससे यह पता चलता है कि वाकई ही आने वाले लम्बे समय तक हमें चक़वात के दुष्परिणाम झेलने पड़ेंगे। मैं एक बात और कहना चाहता हूं कि अभी कुछ दिन पहले हमने चक़वात देखा, लड़ाई देखी। उसके पहले गुजरात में चक़वात का प्रकोप देखा, कई घटनायें देखीं। उन पर जिस तरह हिन्दुस्तानी समाज और जनता की प्रतक़ियायें मिलती रही हैं, उससे लगता है कि मीडिया समाज के अंदर वह संवेदनायें उभार नहीं सका है, वह भावनायें नहीं पैदा कर सका जिससे दूर-दराज के लोग इससे अछूते रहे। हालांकि मैंने महसूस किया कि जब हमारे यहां दिवाली मनाई जा रही थी तो हमारे कुछ साथी ऐसे भी थे, जो यह महसूस कर रहे थे कि हिन्दुस्तान ने बहुत बड़ा शोक झेला है इसलिए हमें सहानुभूति व्यकत करनी चाहिए लेकिन उसके बावजूद हमने देखा कि चारों तरफ बहुत बड़ा उत्सव था। हालांकि भावनायें व्यकितगत होती हैं लेकिन हम एक राष्ट्र हैं और हमारी भावनायें सबकी साझी हैं। जहां पर हमारे लाखों भाई दुख और तकलीफ झेल रहे हैं वहां हम लोगों में गहरी सहानुभूति उभार पाने में नाकामयाब रहे हैं और उसका प्रतिफल यह है कि जो रिलीफ वर्क चल रहा है उसमें कुछ दिककतें आ रही हैं। जैसा कि हम सभी जानते हैं कि ३००-३५० किलोमीटर प्रति घंटे की रफतार से वहां चक़वात आया था जिसने सब कुछ नाश कर दिया। वहां एक भी मकान, पेड़, खम्भा तथा कोई सहारा तक नहीं बचा है। आज नवनिर्माण की जिम्मेदारी हमारी सरकार पर है। हमारी एक करोड़ की जनता जो सीधे-सीधे प्रभावित है, उसके प्रत्यक्ष पुनर्वास की जिम्मेदारी हमारी सरकार पर है। यह बहुत बड़ी जिम्मेदारी है, बहुत बड़ी चुनौती है। हम सहस्राब्िद की बात कर रहे हैं और हमारी सरकार के सामने इतनी बड़ी चुनौती आ गई है जिसे हमें बहुत ही कम समय में और बहुत ऐफीशिऐंटली ऐचीव करना है। मुझे आशा है कि हमारे सभी साथी, हिन्दुस्तान के सभी नागरिक भाई इस अवसर पर गंभीरता से पुनर्िवचार करेंगे और एक ऐसे माहौल का निर्माण करेंगे जिसमें हम ऐसी व्यवस्था का निर्माण कर सकें ताकि आने वाले समय में जब भी कोई ऐसा घटनाक़म घटे, चाहे प्राकृतिक दुर्घटना हो, चाहे बड़ी दुर्घटना हो, हम सब मिलकर अपने प्रभावित भाई-बहनों, मजबूर लोगों की मदद कर सकें। मेरा माननीय प्रधानमंत्री जी से भी अनुरोध है, उन्होंने इंडीकेशन दिया है और इसे राष्ट्रीय कैलेमिटी घोषित किया है, मेरी सरकार से अनुशंसा है कि एक नैशनल कैलेमिटी फंड की रचना करे जिससे बड़े व्यापक नुकसान के समय हमारी प्रान्तीय सरकारें कुछ ठोस कार्य कर सकें। उड़ीसा सरकार ने दस हजार करोड़ रुपये की रिकवायरमैंट रखी है। हम जानते हैं कि यह बहुत बड़ा कार्य है, बहुत बड़ी चुनौती है। जब यह चीज सामने आ चुकी है कि हमें बार-बार प्राकृतिक दुर्घटनाओं का सामना करना पड़ रहा है। ऐसे अवसरों पर हमें विशेष रूप से कैलेमिटी फंड की स्थापना करनी चाहिए जिससे वहां बड़ी तादाद में जो प्रभावित लोग हैं, हम जानते हैं कि उनको लम्बे समय तक इससे प्रभावित रहना है, उनके लिए हम विशेष व्यवस्थाएं कर सकें।

SHRI TRILOCHAN KANUNGO (JAGATSINGHPUR): Mr. Deputy-Speaker Sir, even after five weeks of century"s worst disaster, our people are remaining under the open sky in the season of shivering winter. At the moment when I am speaking here thousands of people are dying of cold and pneumonia and their number may multiply.

">Sir, before I go into the details of the disaster and my suggestions to combat disaster and for the restoration and reconstruction, I want to place on record, on behalf of the affected people of Orissa, our deep gratitude to Shri Chandrababu Naidu and his team of Andhra Pradesh who came as saviours. We also place on record our gratitude to our Prime Minister who came to us at the time of our greatest distress and devastation.

">I want to tell you that 14 out of 30 districts of Orissa, with 15 million of people have been totally devastated. Not only that, standing crops in 20 lakh hectares of the agriculturally richest area of Orissa have been completely damaged by this super cyclone, flood and saline-inundation. What worried us at this time is that we did not find the Government at the State level working with a mind to help the people, with a heart to serve the people and mitigate their miseries.

">We did not find any dynamism and leadership with the Orissa Government. The Ministers did not go out of their chambers or their residences in Bhubaneshwar, whereas Shri Chandrababu Naidu and his team came from Andhra to help us; of course, the Army went there. Under such circumstances, I am perplexed and I am at a loss to understand how this reconstruction process will take place or how the restoration will take place. Even after five weeks or a month, people do not have a cover over their heads. They are spending their time under the open sky in this shivering winter. Lakhs of people do not have access to safe drinking water. Thousands of cases of diarrhoea are being reported and hundreds of people have died; their number will soon multiply if this impasse is not over. If the State Government does not act, if the State Government with its inept handling of the relief operations is allowed to continue further, then thousands of people would die. It is the responsibility of the whole country and it is the responsibility of this august House of the largest democracy of the world to save the people of Orissa from a very inefficient and corrupt Government.

">SHRI ANIL BASU (ARAMBAGH): Now, you are politicising it.

">SHRI TRILOCHAN KANUNGO : I am not politicising it. I am bringing the facts before this august House.

">I have a few suggestions to make. We have a relief code in Orissa. According to this, an adult will be given 500 grams of rice and a child will be given 250 grams of rice as an emergent relief per day. But I can vouch that not a single person anywhere in the affected regions of Orissa has received this amount of emergent relief, that is, 500 grams of rice to the adult and 250 grams of rice to the child for fifteen days as declared. According to them, emergent relief has been given for 15 days; they are saying that records have been maintained and accounts will be given to you. I am not politicising it, but I am challenging it. Let a House Committee be formed and let them go and delve into the matter. If a single person has been given at this rate for 15 days, then I will humbly bow before you and this House and I shall quit this House and I shall resign from my membership. I represent the worst affected district of Orissa, and this is the state of affairs there.

">Sir, under the circumstances, I have a few suggestions to make. This devastating disaster would never be forgotten and would go down in history as one of the biggest tragedies of the millennium. But this is a challenge and an opportunity as well to reconstruct a new and a prosperous Orissa. If the Central Government along with the State Governments and the world bodies come forward with their helping hand, then the reconstruction work for building a new and prosperous Orissa could start at the right earnest.

">Fair price rice selling centres in each Panchayats, till the next harvest is made, at the rate of Rs. 4/- per kilogram should be made available to the people. They have lost their home and hearth. They have lost everything but their lives. More than 30,000 people have died and millions of people who have survived are virtually dying every moment. Should they not be saved? Should they not be helped? Should we not have sympathy for them? Should we not try to reconstruct this ravaged part of the nation? This is my submission.

">Sir, my second suggestion is that test relief work should be started immediately so that the harijans, the people belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and others who were working on daily wage basis could earn something for their survival.

">SHRI RUPCHAND PAL (HOOGLY): The `food for work" scheme should be started.

">SHRI TRILOCHAN KANUNGO : Either the `food for work" scheme or the test relief work should be started immediately.

">Sir, the third suggestion that I would like to make is, there is a provision in the Relief code in Orissa for providing house building grants in three categories. First, for the completely washed away houses, there is a provision for payment of Rs. 3,500; second, for completely damaged houses there is a provision for payment of Rs. 2,000; and third, for partially damaged houses there is a provision for payment of Rs. 1000 per family. I would like to submit before this august House that, is it ever possible to raise a thatched roof or a mud house with Rs. 3500/- or Rs. 2000/-? Should this provision of the Relief code not be amended immediately to raise this amount? This does not require the approval of any legislature. The Cabinet could have done it but that has not yet been done. I would like to urge upon the hon. Prime Minister to see that this amount is raised at least to Rs. 5,000/- and is made available as grant so that the affected people could raise at least one room. Without this it would not be possible to provide them with a cover over their head.

">SHRI ANIL BASU (ARAMBAGH): Rs. 500 crore should be provided as grant.

">SHRI TRILOCHAN KANUNGO (JAGATSINGHPUR): Sir, I have visited the affected areas. I asked the doctors on duty there -- hundreds of people were suffering from cold and pneumonia -- as to what is the cure for this and they immediately answered that they needed a covered dwelling and not medicines. Even after five weeks we have not been able to provide a cover over their head.

">Is it not a shame on us that we could not provide them with a piece of polythene ? This is the state of affairs in Orissa. No doubt the Central Government will give money. You have read about the story of polythene sheets from the newspapers and the suspension of the SRC as a scapegoat. Are we not ashamed of it? Should we not take action in such situations? Cutting across party lines I make this appeal to this august House. Should we remain mute spectators to all that is happening while millions of people are suffering and yet say, from the other side, that it is all politicking? No, Sir, in my life, though I am a new Member here, but during fifty years of my public life, I never took recourse to politicking. I always called a spade a spade and spoke the truth. Sir, such a Government should not be tolerated in the interest of millions of affected people. For heaven"s sake, for those devastated people"s sake, I urge upon you not to tolerate this.

">Electricity restoration has not yet been done. We had a discussion with Shri George Fernandes. On the 15th or 16th of this month, he told me that within 15 days time, electricity would be restored. I had categorically told him that it was neither Kargil nor was it his Defence Department for things to move so fast. I said, `it cannot happen in Orissa and that it would take months together". He, however, assured us of it. After ten days, not a single village has been electrified. Electricity has been restored to some towns but not to a single village.

">The people there have lost everything during this time of harvest. Programmes should be taken up immediately for rabi cultivation, for providing seed, fertilizer, finance, etc. Please do not talk of politicking when I say this. Irrigation, Agriculture and Cooperation there in Orissa are in the hand of the most-corrupt man in this country. The C&AG report stands testimony to my statement. Most of us here know about this. Canal irrigation, lift irrigation should be facilitated. Number of diesel pump sets should also be provided so that rabi cultivation can be taken up in right earnest.

">So far as long-term measures are concerned, I request all the housing finance institutions, including the World Bank if possible, to organise private finances to individuals for at least one 12 feet by 10 feet room with cyclones and floods. No demand for no-encumbrance certificate should be made for this. If you ask for a no-encumbrance certificate, you cannot finance anybody. Soft loans at five to six per cent interest can be given. I am told, HUDCO is going to grant some loans at a rate of eleven per cent interest. I request the Central Government to take up this matter. The rate of interest should be reduced to five to six per cent with a five-year moratorium and a repayment period of 20 years. Some of the States have come forward to adopt some districts. It is a very nice thing.

">We pay our thanks and gratitude to them. But what are they going to do? That have not yet been discussed with the State Government let alone with adopted district authorities. What are they actually going to do, nobody knows. They have not done anything in this regard.

 

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Please conclude.

SHRI TRILOCHAN KANUNGO : Sir, I shall take a few minutes more because I represent Jagatsinghpur, which is the worst affected area. Please do not ring your bell.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: You have already taken 20 minutes. I have given a caution bell.

... (Interruptions)

SHRI TRILOCHAN KANUNGO : I am smiling but the smile is not on my face.

Sir, it is a heart-rending incident. If the adopting States are really interested for reconstruction and restoration work, they should be given two items of work. One, they should rebuild all the public institutions from primary to college level which have been completely razed to the ground. Second, they should take a community house with high plinth area of say, 30 ft x 15 ft with 8 ft verandah on every side so that it can be used as a flood & cyclone shelter. That should be the work of the adopting villages. If they do not do that, they should not venture for calling it as adopted districts.

Road repairs should be taken up in right earnest and funds should be made available.

Thousands of looms have been destroyed and handlooms damaged. They should be revived and weavers should be assisted. Boats and nets are completely gone. Fishermen should be assisted financially to have their boats and nets.

Thousands of betel vines are razed to the ground. They are the lifeline of small and marginal farmers there. These farmers should be helped. Small-scale and village industries should be helped.

Plantation should also be taken up in right earnest. It should be taken up in such a manner that they could save the people in the State from Sun strokes and other hazards.

These are my suggestions, Mr. Prime Minister, Sir.

Sir, last but not the least, it has its advantages and it has also its necessities. It is for the psychological reasons, for the people of the affected areas to declare this calamity as a `national calamity." Mr. Prime Minister, from day one you have been telling that you have been treating this calamity as a national calamity. But Sir, if you are treating this as a national calamity, then what prevents you to declare it as a national calamity? What is the difficulty there?

If there is a political overone, I am telling, let that be so. Sir, the psychology of the affected people is that Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee is a magnanimous man... (Interruptions)...I am telling the psychology of the affected people.

I have written a letter to the hon. Prime Minister. But I have not received the acknowledgment. Of course, I have received the acknowledgment from the Home Minister but I have not received any acknowledgment from the Prime Minister as yet to whom I have addressed.

Sir, there are reports in the Press that there is no provision in the Statute to declare it as a national calamity.

In the Report of the Tenth Finance Commission, it has been clearly mentioned at page 44, para 9.18 and I quote:

"Once a calamity is deemed to be of rare severity (which you have recognized), it really ought to be dealt with - I repeat, it really ought to be dealt with - as a national calamity requiring assistance and support beyond what is envisaged in the CRF Scheme."

It ought to be dealt with as a national calamity. It is treated as a national calamity and it has been dealt with as a national calamity. But what is wrong in declaring it as a national calamity just to save the people?

It is only a psychological satisfaction. It will not bring anything more to them. Suppose you have declared it as a national calamity and did not give any grant, what does it mean by declaration. But what is wrong in declaring it as a national calamity? It will give enough psychological and emotional strength to those ravaged people. For this reason, I request you to please declare it as a national calamity a hundred times. If it is not a national calamity. What else can it be? Look at the magnitude and extent of the loss and damage; look at the magnitude of the loss of lives. If this is not a national calamity, what else can be called a national calamity? Should we not say that it is a national calamity? I request you to say, `I declare, I say, a hundred times in this largest abode of the largest democracy of the world that it is a national calamity." This is a request not just of political persons.

Shri Naveen Patnaik had gone to the interior ravaged villages and everywhere he was asked, `What happened to the declaration of a national calamity?" This demand has been growing everywhere. Maybe, it is political but forget the politics and give that emotional strength to the people. My request is that it should be declared a national calamity not under pressure from us but on the prayer of the millions of ravaged people of Orissa.

I, in this august House of the largest democracy, appeal to you, the Central Government, the States of India, all the State Governments of any political hue and colour and to the world community at large to come forward to assist us. We are not extending our begging hands. As a matter of right of human beings, I am requesting then through this House to come forward to assist Orissa to rebuild Orissa, to rebuild a new Orissa. Let this cyclone be turned into an opportunity for building a new, modern and prosperous Orissa. श्री विजय गोयल (चांदनी चौक) : महोदय, मेरा प्वाइंट ऑफ आर्डर है। आज जब हाउस दो बज कर दस मिनट पर मिला था तो आपने नागालैंड के इश्यु पर एक एम.पी. को बोलने के लिए परमीशन दी। उसके बाद आपने कहा कMatters under rule 377 will be laid on the Table of the House. ... ( व्यवधान) महोदय, नियम ३७७ में ऐसा कोई रूल नहीं है और न ही कोई ऐसा रूल है जिसके अंदर आप स्पेशल मेंशन, स्पेशल परमीशन या सबमिशन को परमिट करें।... (व्यवधान)

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Under what rule are you raising your point of order? Please quote the rule.

... (Interruptions)

SHRI VIJAY GOEL : My point of order is under rule 377 and I am quoting the rule:

"A member who wishes to bring to the notice of the House a matter which is not a point of order, shall give notice in writing to the Secretary-General specifying clearly and precisely the text of the matter to be raised. The member shall be permitted to raise it only after the Speaker has given his consent and at such time and date as the Speaker may fix."

You have not permitted us to raise it. जिन लोगों ने नियम ३७७ के अधीन मामलों के नोटिस दे रखे हैं उनको कभी मौका नहीं मिलेगा, अगर हर बार वे सभापटल पर रखे जाएंगे।... (व्यवधान)

15.00 hrs. केवल आप इसे पोस्टपोन कर सकते हैं। सर, आपकी सहमति हो सकती है लेकिन आप इसको "ले" नहीं करवा सकते हैं।MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: It says:

"The Member shall be permitted to raise it only after the Speaker has given his consent and at such time and date as the Speaker may fix."

SHRI VIJAY GOEL : You may fix the next date. पर आप उसे "ले" मत करिये।MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: The hon. Speaker can give a ruling to the effect that the matters under rule 377 can be treated as laid, as has been the precedent earlier. You are not a new Member.

SHRI VIJAY GOEL : It is not the question of precedent.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Umpteen number of times, they had been treated as laid.

SHRI VIJAY GOEL : I am not talking of the precedent. I am talking of the rule. When the rule is there, you have to only postpone it.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: There is no point of order SHRI VIJAY GOEL : Sir, you can fix another date for this. This is my submission.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: I have already told it. You have quoted the rule; you have also mentioned about the other matter. As a special case, I permitted that hon. Member to make his submission. The Chair has the right; and the hon. Home Minister also reacted to it. श्री विजय गोयल : मेरी रिकवैस्ट यह है कि आपने ऑनरेबल मैम्बर को परमिट कर दिया जबकि उन्होंने नोटिस नहीं दिया था, लेकिन जिन्होंने नोटिस दिया उन्हें परमिट नहीं किया। आपने उनको कह दिया कि -it is to be laid on the Table of the House. That is my submission.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: I said, "It is treated as laid on the Table of the House". श्री विजय गोयल : ऐसे हाउस चलना है तो आप हर स्पीच को "ले" करा दीजिए। फिर कोई अपनी बात को उठा नहीं सकेगा। जीरो आवर को भी "ले" कर दीजिए।MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Shri Goel, you are a senior Member. This is not the first time I am doing it like this. It had been done umpteen number of times in the past. There is no point of order. श्री विजय गोयल : इसके ऊपर डिस्कशन होना चाहिए। इस तरह से "ले" करने का प्रौसीजर ठीक नहीं है।MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Please cooperate with the Chair. Now, Shri Madhavrao Scindia.

SHRI MADHAVRAO SCINDIA (GUNA): Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, on the night of the 29th and 30th October, a cyclone of unprecedented proportion hit the coastal areas of Orissa and went as far as 60 to 70 or almost 100 kms. into Denkanal and Angul areas; it is unprecedented over the last one hundred years.

">We all know of the magnitude of this super cyclone which followed a cyclone of lesser proportions, but nevertheless a cyclone, on the 17th and 18th of October, off the Gopalpur coast in Ganjam district. The storm was accompanied by torrential rains from the 29th of October to the 1st of November. The average rainfall over 35,000 sq. kms. was 600 mm. and the wind velocity was 300 kmph.

">I do not have to repeat it over and over again. But I am afraid when we start talking about super cyclone and the proportion that it reached, one cannot help but get emotionally involved and visualize the scene that must have existed at that time. Therefore we go into these vivid descriptions. Thirteen districts were affected; telecommunications, roads and other transport facilities have completely broken down.

">We visited - Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and I, as the General Secretary in charge of that State - the areas two days later. They were under sheet of water. I am very happy that the Prime Minister also attempted to visit the areas, but due to bad weather conditions it became impossible for him to do so. At that particular time, that is, after 48 hours, I was quite amazed when we reached Bhubaneswar Airport, even Air Force helicopters were not able to land in spite of the tremendous efforts by the Indian Air Force; they just managed to land, only a little before we reached.

">To add to this cyclonic fury, there was flood fury in three major rivers -- Baitarani, Budhabalanga and Shalandi -- which inundated large portions of territory. Due to cyclone one side is under a sheet of water and on the other side ">जो कुछ शेष बचा, वह पूरा का पूरा बाढ़ से प्रभावित हो गया।"> ">You can imagine the havoc. Unless you visit the place, it becomes difficult to visualise. Twenty lakh houses have been destroyed. One and a half crore people have been affected. Millions and millions of cattle wealth have also got destroyed. It is estimated that fifteen to twenty lakh hectares of crop have gone under water. The loss is estimated at about Rs. 2,000 crore. This is the unprecedented velocity of the natural disaster that took place earlier on 16th and 17th and then on 29th and 30th. We are extremely grateful to the defence forces -- the Army, the Air Force and the Navy -- for the tremendous assistance that they have rendered. Without them, it would have been impossible to reach the marooned area. There is no doubt about that. We have to understand the full magnitude before we start taking the critical appraisal of events.

">Such a large number of people - I think about 50 to 60 per cent population of Orissa must be residing in the coastal districts - were involved and naturally that affected the Secretariat. As their families were involved in those coastal districts, we found that suddenly the people living in the coastal districts, which supply the main personnel to the Government administrative services, out of sheer worry for their loved ones just as you and I would do, immediately tried to go to the districts to find about their well-being. That added to the problem.

">I am glad that the State Government immediately marshalled whatever resources it has to meet the requirements. The State Government"s request to the Union Government is justifiably a very large amount and it looks large because it is unprecedented. When we talk of Rs.10,000 crore, it is not something to be laughed away. It is a fact that that much amount of money will be required. Whatever assistance the Armed Forces gave, we are happy that we got their cooperation. Apart from that, many State Governments rallied to the course. I do not have to go through what each State Government has done. It will be suffice to state that the State Governments of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and in their own ways, the Governments of Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Nagaland - West Bengal being a border State where a lot of people were affected, could feel the human pain and misery more vividly possibly - could get together the resources. There may be some other States which I might have omitted to mention, I think we are grateful to all the State Governments that have assisted a State Government in its hour of need. It is hoped that this effort will continue. It seems that the State Governments which have assisted are firm in their resolve. This is something which on human grounds is to be welcomed.

">Sir, the initiator of this discussion talked about declaring this as the national calamity of rarest severity. He has already mentioned the Report of the Tenth Finance Commission. My hon. friend in Government, Shri George Fernandes, time and time again, has declared over media, "Show me that scrap of paper on which this is written". This is a copy of the Report of the Tenth Finance Commission for December, 1994. It has been read out by the initiator of the discussion. I would just like to go on to say that the Commission whilst understanding that there are some occasions which cannot be dealt with by the State Relief Fund, has talked about these extraordinary situations. Therefore, they have made this proposal stating that, "We, therefore, propose that in addition to the CRF, the Calamity Relief Fund in the State, a National Calamity Relief Fund should be created which the Centre and the States will subscribe to and it will be managed by a National Calamity Relief Committee. I think that the Union Agriculture Minister is the Chairman of the Committee and the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and the Finance Minister are the ex-officio Members along with five Chief Ministers in rotation. This organ has been set up to deal with this situation. When the Finance Commission has recognised that we need an institution to deal with a human tragedy of proportions that cannot be even envisaged, surely it is also incumbent on Government not merely to operate through this, not merely to give the beleaguered State access to the National Calamity Relief Fund but equally and maybe more importantly to create the atmosphere and the psychology in the country that there is a major calamity that has struck a part of our country and for that we expect the Union Government to go all the way. The affected State Government, of course, will have to do the same. To create that atmosphere, there should be a tremendous effort and nothing should be spared.

">But what are we doing in the last three weeks or so? The Union Government is just debating about semantics, about the use of words, like `we will not declare it as such, we want to treat it as such and so on". What is this? What is the problem? There is access to the National Calamity Relief Fund in any case, but it is not enough. Only Rs.200 crore has come from it. The Government should also give the entire calamity a profile, a profile of importance. A Chief Minister of a particular State - in this case Orissa but it can happen anywhere - saying this can never carry the same weight as the Prime Minister saying it. Therefore, it should be declared from the Centre. Why the Government is hesitating? The moment the hesitation is there, the moment the debate begins, people start wondering, why is this happening.

">Is it possible that it may not be of that proportion? Is it possible that there may be an exaggeration? Why is the Centre hesitant or apprehensive about it?

">Sir, the Prime Minister attempted twice to visit the affect areas. Unfortunately, both the times due to bad weather and rains, he was unable to land. Therefore, he had to take a view from 15,000 feet or 20,000 feet. It is no fault of his. But we believe that that sincere effort could have been continued further. We would still say that it is not too late. This is a situation -- I am sure the Prime Minister agrees with me -- where there is no space or place for politics. There cannot be. Therefore, I would besiege the Prime Minister even now to go on the National Television and declare an SOS, address the nation and tell them what it is all about. We will acclaim and applaud if you do this because as I said there is no space for politics. ">इसमें कोई गुंजाइश नहीं है, कोई राजनैतिक भावना से प्रेरित नहीं लेकिन आपके यूनियन मनिस्टर्स जो कर रहे हैं, उस पर हम रिएकट नहीं कर रहे हैं।"> ">So our request and appeal to you is to go on the national television.

">The other day some media persons had come from the United States of America for a seminar here. About a week ago, I had met and talked to them. I said that this massive cyclone which you may not be even begin to understand had 15 million people fall backwards... (Interruptions).

">MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Whose cell phone is ringing?

">SHRI SOMNATH CHATTERJEE (BOLPUR): That should be confiscated.

">MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Yes. Time and again, we have been warning about this.

">SHRI MADHAVRAO SCINDIA : I asked them what sort of coverage is this unprecedented cyclone receiving in the American newspapers? I was told by these media people that there was not much coverage and far less than the earthquake in Turkey. Now earthquake in Turkey was also a very major disaster. Our heart went out to all those who were affected. But if Turkey"s was a disaster then this was the grandfather of all disasters. Yet the newspapers in America do not give much priority to this. Why? If the Chief Minister of a State goes on the television, very little attention is going to be given to him. But if the Prime Minister of a country goes on to television, he will attract not only more national attention but also more international attention. Instead of that, we are quibbling about whether it should be declared or whether it should be treated as a national calamity or what the Oxford English dictionary does say about this particular phrase. ऐसी बड़ी मानव त्रासदी में आप दिल खोलकर घोषणा करिये जिससे लोगों की समझ में आये कि यूनियन गवर्नमेंट पूरी तरह से अपने सभी आर्िथक संसाधनों से रिलीफ के लिये बहुत कुछ करने के लिये तैयार है, तत्पर है।Let us work in unison on this. This is what I am enquiring everyday on picking up the newspaper. Some time one Union Minister is making some statement and some time another Union Minister is making some statement. I was surprised to read that Shri George Fernandes has made a statement about Orissa asking the Centre to stop aid. And more than that he has gone on to say that the decision appear to be politically motivated. Now I would appeal to you that even if Shri George Fernandes was convinced that this was so, there is a time and place to say something. He is a Union Minister who is occupying a very senior position. Could he not restrain and get his honed finely tuned, political instincts over the last 50 years, and just manage to control them in this situation even if he was convinced about it?

I will deal with this a little later.

I would request the Prime Minister even now to declare it as such. There are ways and ways by which you can still do so. There is no question of any face-saving or any prestige. We are not going to run around in circles, Mr. Prime Minister, and say that it is our victory, we have finally got it declared. It would not come from us. We will be happy and we will be grateful. I do not have to tell you; you are a person who has been in Parliament and in politics much much before I am. So, I will have the restraint not to tell you this. But it will be becoming the dignity of the Prime Minister. Please go on to the national television even now. Please give it exposure. Once it acquires profile, you will find the response nationally doubling and redoubling and international agencies also taking note of this.

We were talking about the nature of the requirements. I would like to just mention here that even now the State Government is woefully short of supplies in certain sectors. Polythene rolls are very difficult to acquire. There are new orders being placed and we still have a heavy demand for polythene rolls. So, before the distribution area can get into operation, the relief material must arrive. If there is something that can be done to help accelerate the production of polythene rolls and the obtaining of polythene rolls, that should be done. The same I would like to say about blankets. The Orissa Government is still requiring a very large number of blankets and of course reassurance about the relief funds. The Chief Minister had made a plea that Rs.500 crore should be immediately given. But, for final relief operations he was requiring a much much larger amount. The State is naturally worried because the finances of the State ...(Interruptions)

Let us not bring all this, please. It is not a matter of mirth. For God"s sake, be a little serious. Hundreds of people have lost their lives and all you can do is interject with what you think is jocular.

SHRI BIKRAM KESHARI DEO (KALAHANDI): Will you please yield for a moment? I am on a point of order.

SHRI MADHAVRAO SCINDIA : I am not yielding to you.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: He is on a point of order.

SHRI MADHAVRAO SCINDIA : He is a new Member. He does not know what a point of order is.

SHRI BIKRAM KESHARI DEO : My point of order is about the statement that he has made.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Please quote the rule.

SHRI BIKRAM KESHARI DEO : Rule 376. I would like to ask the hon. Member.... (Interruptions)

SHRI SOMNATH CHATTERJEE : How can he ask?

SHRI BIKRAM KESHARI DEO : I would like to ask the Chair. Through you Sir, I would like to say that the statement made by the hon. Member....

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Please read the rule. It says:

"376.(1) A point of order shall relate to the interpretation or enforcement of these rules or such Articles of the Constitution as regulate the business of the House and shall raise a question which is within the cognizance of the Speaker."

SHRI BIKRAM KESHARI DEO : It is within the rules. It is specifically regarding the cyclone. The hon. Member is making a statement regarding the inability of the Central Government to meet the requirements. But today it is seen that in Orissa they are having an intra-party squabble.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: This is no point of order. Nothing will go on record.

(Interruptions) * MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: I have given the ruling that there is no point of order.

... (Interruptions)

SHRI MADHAVRAO SCINDIA : I am not trying to score points here. I am saying it in all seriousness because I do want a response from the hon. Prime Minister or the hon. Minister for Agriculture or whoever would be replying. The amount that has so far been given to the Orissa State Government is Rs.650 crore. Of this, Rs. 200 crore has come from the National Calamity Relief Fund. It has either been spent or has been apportioned. Something like Rs.98 crore of the second grant is in the process of being spent. This leaves a balance of Rs.450 crore. The financial situations in all the States of the country is one which causes worry to all State Governments. Therefore, the State Government has been asking for clarification because the Centre has been saying, "Here is another Rs.450 crores. Spend the money; we will tell you afterwards how we will treat it." Now, naturally, they have a planned budget; they have certain development projects and certain expenditure problem. What happens is that all this money is being spent because there is no alternative. But in this situation, it should be reassured in your reply that this will also be treated as grant because at present Rs.100 crore is given as advance additional Central assistance under externally-aided projects which is due to the State eventually. An approximate amount of Rs. 40 crore is being given as normal Central assistance release in advance for the months of December, 1999 and a part of January, 2000 and Rs.10 crore for the fourth instalment. An amount of Rs.200 crore is being given as advance release, shared Central taxes for the months of December, 1999 and a part of January, 2000. Again, it is something which is due to the State, which comes in normal course but is given as advance. Then, there is ways and means advance of Rs.100 crore. Sir, this sum of Rs.450 crore is carrying 9 per cent interest and has to be repaid on 31st March, 2000 officially and technically. It may be in your mind that ultimately you will treat it as something else and waive it. But why don"t you make these announcements now?

Shrimati Gandhi went with a deputation alongwith Dr. Manmohan Singh and myself to meet the Prime Minister and he had also assured that he will be looking into it. Dr. Manmohan Singh had written a letter but we have not received any reply to it. So, we would like a reassurance that these amounts are not being advanced against normal expenditure and normal budgets. Some of them are carrying 9 per cent interest which will be charged, some of them are asked to be repaid on 31st March, 2000 but they are special grants.

I think some more work is required to be done and the assistance of the Union Government is very much required in the international area. I think it will be very helpful if foreign missions and embassies are instructed to create awareness in various world capitals on this particular issue and to take it up with organisations which gear up to assist other countries in such circumstances.

Finally, there is a need immediate relief material, food, dhotis, sarees, garments, utensils, blankets, polyethylene rolls and direct financial help. But in the medium term, there will be more activity which needs to be coordinated alongwith the Union Government. We seek your assistance in matters like the construction of dwelling units, community shelters, schools I am very happy that a team from the HRD Ministry has been asked to go and visit Orissa - supply of books, embankments, roads, bridges, agricultural materials, veterinary and rabi campaign which are extremely important so that they can recover at least something.

Then, employment through relief work, financial relief for the destitutes, drinking water and then, of course, the much-longer term rehabilitation plans come in. If the World Bank and the other major institutions could be involved in it in Orissa, we would be very grateful.

I finally once again like to say that it is most unfortunate and a matter of great regret that some views are manifested by some Ministers. I would request the hon. Prime Minister to try and curtail the sort of views that are manifested by some of the Members of his Council of Ministers who visited Orissa. They seem to try to infuse some politics into the whole venture because there may be an Assembly election a few months away. I do not even want to name those few Ministers because I do not want to get into a squabble on this. But all I can say is that it is entirely untrue what those Ministers have said. As far as the role of the Orissa Government is concerned, I think it is entirely untrue. I categorically refute what they have said about it. I would just say that even in your mind if you are even convinced about it, this is not the time to make your views known because let us have an atmosphere of cooperation. In that spirit, let us try and ensure that relief reached those who have really been harmed, those who have lost their loved ones and those who have lost everything they had in the world. So, this is my appeal.

_____________________________________________________________________________ *Not Recorded.

SHRI ANADI SAHU (BERHAMPUR, ORISSA): Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, on the 18th of October, the Southern part of Orissa and a part of Andhra Pradesh was visited by a cyclonic fury. As if the Nature was not happy with that, it came with a redoubled fury on the 29th and caused extensive damage to 12 districts. I am talking of both the cyclone and the resultant flood.

Before I go into this matter, I would like to speak something about the Indian Meteorological Department. They had given the warning on the 25th about the storm being raised 500 km. away from the Andamans. They had assessed the track of the cyclone. I am not casting an aspersion on anyone. But the storm came to Paradip, hovered around Paradip for about six hours and then hoved around for 48 hours inside the land but it was not tracked properly.

It is a fact that when there is a cyclone, there will be moisture content with in the wind which will cause severe torrential rains. It was the duty of the Meteorological Department to assess as to what would be the moisture content inside the land even after 48 hours. For about 48 hours, with a wind speed of 100 kms., there was torrential rain all around which caused more havoc in two districts, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj and the nearby areas, as a result of which a number of rivers had changed their course. I again say that it is not an aspersion on anyone. It is something of a weakness on our part not to be able to find out what type of cyclone could be coming and what type of damages it would cause. Yes, it is a cyclone of severe intensity which is unprecedented in the history. But the State Government had the smug satisfaction of being able to tackle it in their own way although they had the experience of the cyclone of the 18th of October. This is not a place to recite English poetry. But I would definitely like to recite a stanza of the English poetry where it has been said:

"I falter where I firmly tread And falling with my weight and cares I gather dust and chaff."

That is what has happened to the Orissa Government on the 29th and thereafter. They had the experience of the cyclones. It might be a fact that they had become pygmies in front of the insurmountable difficulties experienced on the 29th of October, 1999. But even after two weeks, the pygmy could have come up to its own stature of governance and could have dealt with this matter in a more appropriate manner.

Till now, 10,000 dead bodies have been found out and most of the dead bodies have been found out by the R.S.S., the Anand Margis and the Army. The Government functionaries did not do anything. Even today, there is evidence to show that the dead bodies are still in their watery biers. The bodies are being recovered from water. As the water is receding, the bodies are coming out. Is it not the duty of the Government of the State to ensure that some sort of a solace is given to the lonely persons who have been hovering around, famished, emaciated and cadaverous? What has happened now? Even now, people have been telling that relief has not gone to the deep interiors of Ersema. In Ersema, the coastal areas, there has been illegal immigration. The illegal immigrants have been staying there for the last 25 to 30 years. We do not have any account of those people. They have been Bangladeshis and because they have been allowed to stay there, the mangrove forest was completely denuded and the casuarina forest had completely vanished as a result of which the super cyclone with 300 kilometre per hour wind speed had completely come inside. The creeks had been taken over by the aquaculture people as a result of which the five or six metre fury of tides could not be checked and we have faced all these difficulties.

My hon. friends from the Congress Party have said many things about whether it is a natural calamity or a national calamity. The tenor of the words, as Shri George Fernandes has said, does not show that it has to be declared as a national calamity, but it has to be dealt with as a national calamity. Now, it has been dealt with as a national calamity. If you go into the details, you will know that it has been dealt with like that only. In the Calamity Relief Fund, it is indicated that 75 per cent and 25 per cent is the ratio of funding of the Centre and the State for the money that has to be spent. But when it is a near national calamity or in the nature of national calamity, the Government of India has to give funds. The Government of India has already given Rs.950 crore, out of which some amount is the Plan Advance and some amount is the Grant. But what has happened to this money?

In the first phase, an amount of Rs.50 crore had to be given to Ganjam district wherefrom I come. Till now, - I have the report from the Collector that he has received only Rs.26.50 crore and where has the other money gone? The hon. Minister, Shri Shanta Kumar had been to Orissa and he has categorically said that 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of rice has been given to the State. But till now, the State Govt. have only lifted 90,000 metric tonnes out of which I have got the Special Relief Commissioner"s report - only 45,000 tonnes have been distributed. Who is to be blamed? The people are going without food. As I see from the report of the Special Relief Commissioner, who has been placed under suspension because of some scam here and there, 1,70,000 polythene sheets only have been given, although 1.50 crore people are affected. Taking into consideration that a family consists of five persons, it would come to about 30 lakh families and 30 lakh people must get 30 lakh polythene sheets.

Sir, it is a fact that in Orissa - and it must be well taken care of now - that human values have come down. In 1866, Orissa had a great famine when the landed gentry and the upper caste people would not accept doles from the Government. Now, whatever is going, whether he is a wealthy man or whether he belongs to the upper caste or anything of the sort or whether he has a pucca house, he is demanding his share of polythene sheets and rice. The Government of Andhra Pradesh has sent rice at the rate of Rs.13 per kilogram and these people who are in power have appropriated - I do not call it misappropriation - the rice and one does not know where the rice has gone. I had made a request to the hon. Minister not to send rice which is costly because that will go to the black market. Now, in Kalinga Stadium, you will find hundreds of trucks which are lying idle and which requires about 100 officers to tackle the problem. But the State Government has kept only three officers. These are the things which require some sort of an introspection. I do not say whether it is a natural calamity or a national calamity or a calamity of severest nature but it is of severe malodministration.

">Action has been taken only to politicise these figures. Why should we make so much of a hullabaloo? Let us face it. Money has been going. But it has to be spent properly. That is not being done. I would not go into the details because all the details have been spoken about by my friends here.

The total manpower loss is about 20,000 human beings. The deaths are 20,000. About 5,000 are missing here and there. But what is required is that we have to deal with it in a very proper manner to look to the people who are hungry, malnutritioned and living in polluted atmosphere. Polluted atmosphere means that there is no drinking water. The Air Force had been dropping food packets. They were not able to drop canisters or barrels with water because it would have burst. Even now, people have been drinking water from polluted areas where carcasses are lying and somewhere dead human bodies are lying.

A Task Force has been constituted. My earnest request to the Government is: kindly take the local representatives or Ministers who are there from Orissa to be Members of the Task Force. So, they would give some suggestions and would ask for some remedy here and there. That would be more appropriate and more constructive in its approach.

Now, I would only tell about the short-term requirements. The short term requirement is for polythene. I do not know whether a kilogram of polythene would cost Rs. 74 or not. But on 18th October, I had enquired that it was between Rs. 50 and Rs. 60 because of the emergent situation. The State Government has procured it from Delhi at the rate of Rs. 74 per kilogram. It is up to the House to decide as to whether it was a scam or not. I would not like to dilate on that matter. But polythene sheets are immediately required. Take the coastal area. The blankets are required. Food materials are required: 15 kilogram to 20 kilogram per PPL and 10 kilogram to 15 kilogram per APL. All these things have to be taken care of by the State Government and not the Central Government. Food materials are going. FCI have been giving this. But there is an intermediary supply agent and storage agent. He is making a lot of profit from this thing. That intermediary system should go. It should go directly from the FCI to the Gram Panchayat. That should be the way food materials and medicines should be distributed. The people are dying in large numbers. You will find from the SRC"s reportthat he has indicated 197 snakebites and one death. I do not know, whether because of the severe cyclone, the snakes have lost their venom and only one person has died. These are the statistics which have been given. It seems that the snakes have disappeared. I do not know about crocodiles whether they have also disappeared into the sea through the innumerable creeks which have been opened now. Long-term planning has to be done. The first long-term planning is shelters along the coast. My suggestion is that at every five kilometres along the 480 kilometres of the Orissa coast, storm and cyclone shelters should be provided. The shelters should be like this. It should be a two-tier system as a two-storey building. The ground floor could be used for schools and the first floor for storm shelters. One such centre is there at Gopalpur-on-sea which has been doing good work. In Andhra Pradesh also, there are a number of cyclone shelters. This should be taken up on a long-term basis.

Then, there should be saline embankments. There has been a lot of salination of paddy fields. About five lakh acres of paddy fields have been inundated by the saline water. The immediate requirement is to make a study of the entire coastal area and provide saline embankments. That would be very helpful. Take the case of Uma Salt Bay where salt is being made. Saline water is being brought from the sea by pumping system. During this cyclone, the water came on its own and 15-16 feet of tidal fore went up to 20 kilometres inundating areas of vast paddy fields. For desalination, it requires lime. And lime has to be provided immediately. I do not know whether anybody has thought of it. I have seen that whenever there is salination line from the paper mills, are taken. They are those last residue and put it into the paddy fields. Huma Salt bay also requires adequate funding.

In Orissa what has happened because of this severe cyclone. About 12,000 small scale industries have been partially and completely damaged. The Orissa State Financial Corporation, I think, would have to bear the loss of about Rs.600 crore. The Government of India has to come in an appropriate manner to refinance those industries. For that, I think, the minimum requirement will be Rs.200 crore to the Orissa State Financial Corporation. The SIDBI and the IDBI should take up this matter immediately on a long term basis and all that and provide funds to OSFC.

As the hon. Member, Shri Kanungo has said, there should be a moratorium on payment, deferred payment. For three years, on the principal there should be no instalment payment and the interest on that be waived off so that these 12,000 industries can survive. Otherwise there will be unemployment and people would not get any work. For the last ten days I have been watching in the State that there has been mass exodus of people to Maharashtra and to Gujarat to work in different places.

Last year, in the Budget, the Central Government had stated that when there is an exodus of people, the Employment Assurance Scheme has to be revitalised, 25 per cent extra money has to be given. Even till now, it has not been done. There is a provision that the State Government has to give a proposal as to what is the amount that is required. I do not know whether such proposal has come to the Central Government or not. They should ask for 25 per cent more so that people do not go out of the State leaving the emaciated family to fend for themselves.

Electricity has not yet been provided. Andhra people came to help us. We are grateful to the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. In Behrampore, in my city, within five days the entire area was electrified in the sense that they did wonder. But there are certain places, certain NACs in my constituency and in the constituency of Shri Naveen Patnaik where electricity has not yet been provided, not to talk of the lift irrigation points which have to be revitalised to get rabi crop.

The State Government has said that there would be subsidy of 50 per cent on rabi seeds. I would like to ask them, why should it not be 100 per cent subsidy and why only 50 per cent subsidy. Give them free. Only once you will give it to them. Why this niggardly behaviour of the State Government in asking for 50 per cent payment on rabi seeds? If they are not able to give it, why should not they ask the Agriculture Ministry of India to give it free of cost, at least for once.

Then I come to the cash crops. The kewda, a flower, gives scent. It is a shrub, wildly grown. I had made request to the Chairman of the Task Force, I have written a letter also to him, saying that another Task Force with an agricultural expert should go there immediately and see that these shrubs come up. They belong to the bamboo family and I am sure immediately some work can be taken up so that the kewda flower plant and the distillation plants can come up. Money has to be given to those distillers because they export kewda scents.

Regarding paan, betel nut, I had said earlier also during the Ganjam Cyclone, as to how it has to be tackled. The immediate requirement is to see that betel vines, betel nut orchards, coconut orchards and banana plantations are taken up in right earnest. The Government of India should do it. I am sure the Government of Orissa would not be able to cope up with this problem.

Lastly, I would say about the employment generation programme. The Government of India has already announced, only recently, about employment generation programmes to be taken up. In taking up employment generation programmes, house building matter should also be taken up. HUDCO has been given a sum of Rs.190 crore by the Government of India to take up construction of houses for those people who are in the BPL list, but what about those who are in the APL list and their houses have been damaged and they cannot construct their houses. I appeal to the Government of India to devise a means by which the banks could give loans with soft interest to those people who are interested in constructing their houses, maybe at the rate of four per cent or six per cent interest. They are willing to take loans and construct their houses again. With these words, I conclude.

Thank you Sir.

SHRI HANNAN MOLLAH (ULUBERIA): Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, we are discussing a very severe cyclone which had occurred in this country with the rarest severity.

Sir, as we have seen, this cyclone-prone area was hit again and again. In the last 176 years, this part of our country was hit by about 22 cyclones. Lakhs of people were affected and thousands of people had been killed in the past. This is the most severest cyclone that we have ever seen in this region in terms of coverage and in terms of damage.

Sir, as has already been mentioned by the earlier speakers, this cyclone with the wind speed of 300 kilometres was an unprecedented one and never happened. In spite of our earlier warning, the Administration could not gear up to face the situation. Though it is not fully possible to face such a serious calamity, the inefficiency and slackness on the part of the Administration is an experience which should be kept in mind for the future because such cyclones may occur again. Even there has been a warning that in the middle of December one such cyclone may hit.

Secondly, the extent of damage has already been mentioned. My friends and our party delegations have visited the entire area and are working day and night for the relief, rescue and rehabilitation work. Certain questions should be kept in mind. I agree with the suggestion of my friend, Shri Anadi Sahu, that the Meteorological Department should have some better exercise to identify certain things and to decide it at a proper time so that people also can be aware of such things and take care of themselves.

Orissa is one of the poorest States with the richest reserves and it has the poorest people. It is the fortune of that part of the country for several decades. We do not know why it is so; maybe because of lack of proper administration. Sir, as you know, some part is the perpetual sufferer due to drought and this part is the sufferer due to cyclone.

Majority of these poorest people--60 per cent of Orissa people are living below the poverty line--depend on agriculture. The poor and marginal peasants are in larger number and the largest number of agricultural workers is also there. They live on hand to mouth by their toil. This cyclone has damaged about 50 per cent of rice crops and it was worth about 17.55 billion rupees. How will these people survive? What has been lost is one thing. How can the next crop be planned? That is one of the major issues before the people of that State who depend on agriculture.

Majority of these poorest people--60 per cent of Orissa people are living below the poverty line--depend on agriculture. The poor and marginal peasants are in larger number and the largest number of agricultural workers is also there. They live on hand to mouth by their toil. This cyclone has damaged about 50 per cent of rice crops and it was worth about 17.55 billion rupees. How will these people survive? What has been lost is one thing. How can the next crop be planned? That is one of the major issues before the people of that State who depend on agriculture.

Secondly, the largest number of people in the coastal region that is thickly populated, also depend on fisheries and fishing in the seas. Their trawlers and houses have been destroyed. All their fishing materials, including boats, have been destroyed. If the largest number of those people, the fishermen, living in the coast are not provided with immediate relief, they will also face the challenge to their existence in the coming months. So, that is another area of concern which should be kept in mind.

Sir, about 10,000 people have died but the estimate goes up from 20,000 to 50,000. We do not know the actual figure. I think we have to find out this from the voters" list. Otherwise, we will not be able to identify the people who were living there. Names of many people also may not be in.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Shri Hannan Mollah, please address the Chair.

SHRI HANNAN MOLLAH : If the voters" lists are there in the Government record, in the Election Commission, through them we have to find out the people who were living there because there are dozens of villages which are not existing now. There is no sign of those villages. Even if you go, you will not find any sign of those villages. So, how can you identify that how many people were living in those villages? So, you have to identify how many people have actually died and then, accordingly, we have to compensate their near and dear ones who are living and other people also.

In all these 14 districts, besides, rice, coconuts, cashewnuts and groundnuts have been destroyed. Next is rabi crop. As has already been mentioned, sea water has entered about 30 kilometres inside the land and a large portion of those lands are salinated. The next crop will be very difficult. We cannot leave how that land desalination could be planned to the State Government. It is a national calamity. The entire country should take the responsibility to rebuild that part of our nation, that part of our country.

So, how that can be done is a question. How desalination can be taken up and how at least the rabi crop can be started soon with adequate supply of seeds and credit are all questions. Seeds and credits are the two very important areas. The Central Government, in collaboration with the State Government, NGOs and other organizations, should put together all our forces and we have to find out how we can face this problem.

I am sorry to say that either those who are ruling in Orissa or in Delhi, are trying to take political advantage because the Assembly election is nearing. This is the most unfortunate thing. When a part of our nation is in danger, when they are dying and suffering, we should come together, stand together and work together to come out of this problem. That is the most important thing.

As it has already been mentioned here, the Central Ministers are making a lot of statements and electoral gimmicks. It is unfortunate those who are running the State Government, instead of unitedly fighting it, they themselves are fighting. It will damage their image. When the entire nation is concerned about this problem, how the ruling party people in the State, instead of joining hands and facing the challenge together, are fighting each other. These things are unfortunate. It is a crime for anybody at this point of time to do like this. So, that should be avoided and they should try to do the maximum.

Now, let me come to the question of damage and taking the responsibility.

16.00 hrs. We cannot leave it at the hands of the State Government. The State Government is doing. Their weaknesses are clear, even before and after they were trying. I also understand that there are two administrative centres -- Bhubeneshwar and Cuttack-- and they are totally damaged and destroyed. There is also a difficulty to immediately start the work. We understand that. We should not blame for political purposes. But after two weeks, we should now gear up our administrative machinery with the social organisations and political organisations put together. We have to face this challenge so that we can renew this State.

Another question is the ecological balance which has been destroyed. Because of that, it had happened. If we do not repair it, such things will happen in future also. So, how can we tackle it? The Ministry of Environment and Forests in the Central Government should take these coastal areas for a massive afforestation programme and plantation of mangroves and other plantations. It should be done immediately. The State Government and the Central Government should sit together and while preparing the Five Year Plan, within two or three years at least we should bring back the ecological balance to some extent so that in future that can be avoided.

There is another problem. About one crore and sixty lakh cattles of different varieties have been destroyed or killed. It is a very huge number. Small and marginal peasants use these forces for ploughing and cultivation work as rich peasants might have some tractors or some this like that. But these poor and marginal peasants depend on their cows, bullocks and buffaloes which had been killed. Then, how will they cultivate their land? First, they have to desalinate their land and then they have to cultivate their land. How can they do that? The Central Government should also intervene. But wherefrom they will get cows in Orissa? They have to bring from other parts of the country. The Central Government can arrange it and that should be done. At the same time, the power tillers and other tractors also can be provided so that during the rabi crop, at least this damage can be repaired.

As I had already mentioned, there is another problem about the electricity. Only in some cities, it is partially restored. In the entire village areas, there is no electricity. The A.E.S. Corporation have come to the Government for help. What will they do? They have said that if the Government do not claim responsibility, then we should increase the tariff by three times. If the A.E.S. Corporation, an American company, increases its tariff by three times, wherefrom the people will they pay for it? It is because they are already suffering and they have nothing with them. That is also another area of concern. How will the Central Government and the State Government find a solution for proper power distribution and transmission? That is another area of concern to which I would like to draw the attention of the Government.

Another area of concern is that of telecommunications. Though Shri Sikdar and Shri Paswan have been saying that telecommunications will reach every village, but it is very difficult to reach the Orissa villages. So, there should be some Master Plan on how we can cover these fourteen districts within the shortest possible time, stage by stage. First the Block level towns should be covered and then they should try to go to the villages. So, some plan on those lines should be immediately drawn by the Central Government.

The next area of concern is the Paradip Port. That port is not only the lifeline of the State of Orissa but also of the entire eastern region. A lot of things are exported and imported through that port. So, that port should be rebuilt and revived very fast. For that also, I request the Government to draw some plan immediately.

In some areas the railway line has been restored but the trains are running without signals. Drivers have been asked to run the trains looking at the front. If they find some obstacle, they should stop the train themselves. So, they are running the trains with their own judgement, without signals because the signal system is damaged. In many areas, the railway lines and other things have not been restored. This is an infrastructural area which needs immediate restoration so that the local administration can make use of it and the affected people can get the benefit of that.

The next area of concern is the problem of epidemic. We have reports about epidemics, such as, malaria, cholera, and gastroenteritis spreading there. Already 90,000 people have been affected by these and some people have died also. This is happening because the hospitals and health centres are not functioning properly. So, we have to find out how we can face this challenge. Every calamity is followed by epidemic if adequate and effective measures are not taken on war footing. So, I request the Government to give the details of the planning they have made in this regard.

We need skilled people and personnel to implement and monitor the decisions speedily. So, efficient people are also required. Government has to find out how effective manpower can be provided to implement and monitor the works properly within a short time.

In Nandankanan and other zoos, almost all the animals have died. Those who have survived are not getting any food. So, the Government should immediately intervene to see how they can rebuild those zoos and save the animals.

Our Army, Navy and Air Force have done a wonderful job in flood-affected areas. When the persons in uniform are facing the challenge with sincerity, I hope the people behind them should also work with the same spirit. They should not try to politicise the efforts of those in uniform so that they can work in a better manner.

When the Prime Minister was to go there, I am told the arrangements made for him were so poor that even the flight was not available for him. He had to wait at the airport and he was forced to fly very late. He reached there in the evening. He could not see anything in the night, in the dark. Is this the way to organise the Prime Minister"s visit to the affected areas? It shows the attitude of the Central Government. We have always been clamouring that the eastern region is suffering. When the problem is in the eastern region, when the people in the eastern region suffer, whether it is Orissa or Bihar or West Bengal or other areas in the eastern region, people take less care of those areas.

This is the complaint of the people of the Eastern Region. It has been repeatedly coming up. I think this callousness should go. It is a crime to deal with such a thing in that fashion when the area is in serious trouble.

I will request you to immediately give financial assistance. But do not give that in the cover of just assistance. It should be in the form of grants. Grants should be more. In the name of assistance you should not go tomorrow for recovering that money as a loan given in advance.

You take specific measures to prevent the epidemics. Drinking water is a major problem. You immediately go and arrange for pure drinking water. The problems like how it can be supplied in that area should be taken care of.

I mentioned about seeds. The rabi crop should be taken care of and proper seeds and loans on easy terms should be given.

I also request you to start "Food for Work" programme. In the 1978 floods we have seen that the "Food for Work" programme did a magic. The poor people want food immediately. If they get food for the work done, then the reconstruction work as well as their existence will both be preserved and developed. So, on these things, I request that "Food for Work" programme should be introduced in a massive way.

Coming to the housing sector, some talk is going on regarding disaster-proof houses. We have to plan with proper technology as to how we can have such disaster-proof houses and buildings where we can face such calamities if they occur in future. HUDCO has intervened. But we need much more because the damage is so big and huge that with Rs. 190 crore you cannot do much. It is just a pittance in comparison to the damage.

Coming to the education, I am afraid education in Orissa will be put back in the coming ten years. They will go backward because the colleges and schools are all closed. There is no education. All institutions are closed and no examination will be there in the coming months. What will happen to those hundreds and lakhs of students? You have to immediately plan something so that education is started and the college and school buildings can immediately be opened even by constructing temporary sheds. Classes can be started with temporary sheds. Then, in a long-term programme, you can rebuild all those in a better way.

I have already told about the hospitals. The hospitals and health centres should also be immediately rebuilt. That is also another area of importance. There should be massive plantation.

These are the areas where the Central Government and the State Government should put their heads together and should mobilise the N.G.Os. and other forces. We can also appeal to foreign countries for their help. In Russia, Turkey and many other countries, whenever there are national calamities, foreign assistance poured in. But I do not know what is happening in our country. I am told that our Ministry of External Affairs is standing in the way. Some people and some countries are ready to help. But our M.E.A. is standing in the way. I do not know whether this is correct or not. If it is correct then it is a wrong thing and they should clarify. We request the Government to mobilise funds. As submitted earlier, the hon. Prime Minister should appeal to the whole world that whoever can come forward to rebuild Orissa from this wreck is welcome. It can be rebuilt as a new Orissa and the scars can be reversed into a blessing. I request the Government to take care of the problem in that fashion.

With these few words I conclude.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Hon. Members, as there is no one from the panel of Chairmen in the House now, if the House agrees I will call the senior Member Shri Basudeb Acharia to preside over the House.

SEVERAL HON. MEMBERS: Yes.

16.15 hrs (Shri Basu Deb Acharia in the Chair) PROF. UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU (TENALI): Mr. Chairman Sir, it is most unfortunate that the State of Orissa was hit by two consequent cyclones, the first one on 17th and 18th October, 1999 followed, immediately after, by second one on 29th October, 1999. I think, this is the most unprecedented and unexpected havoc that has played in the State of Orissa where the devastation was so sizeable that it is beyond the imagination of anybody. In the past one hundred years, people say that, this type of havoc has never been there, particularly in Orissa. The torrential rains followed by high velocity winds at a speed of about 300 kilometres per hour and the unprecedented tidal waves, put together at one particular time have played such a big havoc in the State that has caused a lot of suffering to human beings, certain loss to crops and thereby a loss to the ecological balance in the State.

">The statistics have been placed before the House that more than 1.6 crore population, 20,000 villages and 12 districts have suffered the fury of this havoc. The crops in more than 21.5 lakh hectares of land have also suffered and the houses lost were more than 22 lakh. The human loss was placed a bit higher than 10,000 and cattle loss at about 1.6 crore. This amount of loss is not a loss to one particular State, it is really a loss to the whole country.

As such, we must congratulate the Union Government for having risen to the occasion immediately, declared it as a national calamity and extended its helping hand in several ways. Though the State Government had also taken immediate steps to provide relief, somehow there was a feeling - I am not entering into any area of dispute - that the required amount of help had not been rendered by the officials and the machinery of the State Government in times of need, and the State Government could not rise to the occasion. However, one particular point of dispute that is going on between the State Government and the Union Government that the help that has been rendered by the Union Government could not properly be utilised by the State Government and could not be properly handed over to the victims, is not a correct step in the right direction at this point of time. I am not going into the merits and demerits of the issue, but this type of message would not have gone to the victims that there is a help that is being rendered by the Union Government but it is not reaching the victims or the people. This is not a good message. We, as Indians first, will have to look at the sufferings of all the people unanimously and as a team of the entire country.

">Sir, it is gratifying to note that a Task Force has been immediately constituted by the Government of India; the Union Government also placed its Armed Forces at the disposal of the Orissa Government, and `Operation Sahayata" has been organised by the Ministry of Defence in that State. They have taken several steps, but I do not want to go into the details. They have placed about 35 Army Columns and about 5,000 Army personnel at the disposal of the State for taking up these operations.

">Coming to the Central assistance, this particular point really pinches everybody. I do not know the actual situation. When the Prime Minister visited that State, he has extended the total relief to the extent of Rs. 950 crore: Rs. 450 crore comes as Advance Plan Assistance, and Rs. 500 crore as Calamity Relief Fund. This shows that the Government of India could rise to the occasion. However, unfortunately, the teams sent by many public sector undertakings have been turned away by the State Government functionaries. An example has been quoted that the Collector of Puri turned away a medical team sent by the Neyveli Lignite Corporation. When the Additional Secretary, Department of Coal and Mines spoke to the Collector of Puri, he confirmed that he does not require any medical teams or the setting up of any community kitchens. When somebody sends certain amount of help to the State, be it the Union Government or the sister State Governments, it could not reach the victims, and this is one particular issue which is causing a lot of agony in the minds of several people. This ought not have happened.

">Besides, I must certainly go on record on the help that has been rendered by the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, and our Chief Minister Shri Chandrababu Naidu has risen to the occasion. On the very same day, that is, on 30th, he has sent the teams, and on 31st, our teams have reached Berhampore. He has risen to the occasion and sent our former Relief Commissioner, Shri Acharya, to Berhampore, to be immediately followed by the Director General of Police. It is really appreciable that our officer was the first man to reach Berhampore, in spite of several odds.

">SHRI TRILOCHAN KANUNGO (JAGATSINGHPUR): They maintained the law and order also.

">PROF. UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU (TENALI): On reaching Berhampore, the officers of the State Government of Andhra Pradesh have set up a Control Room to coordinate the activities of different departments, and they were the first people to provide relief in Orissa. When a telephone No. 201755 was installed, the Chief Minister was regularly contacting him and giving the directions for providing relief. The Relief Commissioner also visited Bhubaneshwar on 1st November and met the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary and also the State Relief Commissioner.

">MR. CHAIRMAN : Prof. Venkateshwarlu, you should not read from your text.

">PROF. UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU : Sir, I am not reading; I am only giving some statistical data that is there. So, it is our Relief Commissioner who has coordinated with the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary and also the Relief Commissioner of the Orissa State and planned the total relief measures that have been taken up.

">Sir, similarly the Director General of Police also immediately rushed to Orissa and the police department had deployed about 92 personnel in Paradeep; about 30 personnel in Kalinga; about 90 personnel in Cuttack and again another additional 93 personnel were deployed in Cuttack. The people from the Department of Communication, some of them hailing from Orissa, were also sent there. In all about 460 police personnel had been deployed in different districts of Orissa to take up the relief measures.

">A lot of relief material had been sent to Orissa. The employees of the Roads and Buildings Department of Andhra Pradesh had gone there and sent their socketing machines etc. to clear the roads which involved an expenditure of Rs. 43 lakh. 268 people of the R&B Department of Andhra Pradesh worked day and night to clear the roads during those two to three days. Drugs worth Rs. 11,57,000 had also been sent on the very next day of the calamity. On the second day drugs worth Rs. 4,14,000 were also sent. Subsequently, on the third day of the havoc, people working in the Civil Supplies Department had been rushed to Orissa with Polythene tarpaulin, polythene bags, jaggery, biscuits etc. All these involved an expenditure of Rs. 2,52,44,551/-.

">Subsequently, about 900 people working in the Vidyut Soudha, that is the Andhra Pradesh Transport and Electricity Department, were sent to Orissa to restore the electricity lines. This has involved an expenditure to the tune of Rs. 74 lakhs ... (Interruptions)

">SHRI RAJESH PILOT : Sir, I have read in the newspapers and my colleague here also has been saying that their State Government had sent medicines and manpower and all that. Now, is it also a fact that they have sent a bill worth rupees eight crore to the Government of Orissa?

">PROF. UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU : It is not for bills.

">SHRI RAJESH PILOT : I just want to educate myself. My question is very simple. Is it a fact, which I read in the newspapers, that the Andhra Pradesh Government has billed the Orissa Government for rupees eight crore? Is it a fact or not?

">PROF. UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU : It is only a help that has been rendered by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to the State of Orissa.

">SHRI RAJESH PILOT : I agree with you. We are all thankful for that. More than that we are obliged. But is it a fact that the Orissa government has been billed for rupees eight crore by the Government of Andhra Pradesh?

">PROF. UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU : No. ">SHRI MADHAVRAO SCINDIA : He should send everything but not the bills.

">PROF. UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU : Sir, this is all the help that has been sent to the State of Orissa from the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

">MR. CHAIRMAN : Shri Reddy, please conclude now.

">PROF. UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU : Sir, I am concluding in a minute. Handloom cloth worth Rs.74,42,000 had been sent to Orissa. Besides this, even private individuals, voluntary organisations and also the salaried people in Andhra Pradesh have contributed and those were also sent as relief materials to Orissa. Even my colleague, Shri M.V.S.Murthy has contributed rupees five lakh. Food packets were organised and were distributed continuously for 15 days and it involved an expenditure to tune of Rs. 75 lakh. These were organised from Vizag alone.

">Sir, a lot of help has been rendered by the State of Andhra Pradesh to Orissa. We are proud that our Chief Minister had risen to the occasion and on humanitarian grounds have rendered help. He was the first person to have shown this national spirit and rendered this help to the people of Orissa.

">MR. CHAIRMAN: Please conclude now.

">PROF. UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU : Sir, I am concluding in a minute.

">In this connection I would like to submit one thing. The sufferings of the people of Orissa, at present, are of a low magnitude.

">In the days to come the sufferings will be greater. What they have suffered now is not going to be all. We, in Andhra Pradesh, have a lot of experience in these things. We also suffer from frequent cyclones and floods. During the subsequent years when the crops are lost, when all the orchards are lost, when the total earnings are gone, the sufferings of these people which have to be dealt with in the days to come are going to be much more. The help that is being rendered by the Government, the State or the Central Government, at the present juncture is not going to be sufficient. They will have to go in for a long term plan as to how these people who are suffering can be helped. Even the restoration of orchards, restoration of coconut groves takes a long time. It takes not less than ten years after replantation for the orchards and groves to come to the stage of economic bearings. All these ten years the affected families will not have any income to sustain their livelihood. So, it requires a long term plan to help these victims in real sense.

">Cholera and other epidemics that break out at these times will lead to an alarming situation. They will have to be met with a lot of commitment. At this juncture, the Union and State Governments should stand by each other and look at the victims first but not at the political or other consideration which would come in the way of restoration work. One should rise to the occasion, reach above all other considerations in providing relief to the affected people.

">I would like to give a small example for the benefit of the Government of India. For Latur earthquake victims KFW from Germany gave some grant. For 1996 cyclone victims in Andhra Pradesh also KFW, Germany, gave an outright grant of Rs.42 crore for construction of houses. Similarly, even now a lot of international aid agencies can be roped in to provide funds and grants for taking up relief measures for the cyclone victims. With these words, I conclude.

SHRI K.P. SINGH DEO (DHENKANAL): Mr. Chairman, Sir, I come from a place called Dhenkanal. It was one of the first States to merge into India. The reason why I am saying this is that I would not like to refer to this super cyclone T-70 which is the severest and the rarest cyclone of this century, not designated so by K.P. Singh Deo but by the Indian Meteorological Department and international meteorological bodies. Hon. friend Shri Anadi Sahu and I were talking to the Met office on the 29th of October, the day we were discussing the cyclone of the 17th, exactly one month back, on that fateful and disastrous day of 29th October. The Indian Met Department said that the last cyclone which was of the rarest severity was only T-4.8. That means this was about 70 per cent more severe in magnitude and severity than the last one which hit Andhra Pradesh in 1990.

">This super cyclone of rarest severity hit the eastern board of India. Let us forget the little States which were there before 1947 -- after 1947, I think, the whole thing is India. It is the eastern board of India which has been destroyed, devastated and damaged by winds of 300 kilometres per hour speed and by three days of incessant rainfall bringing in floods. It was 24 hours of hell for at least half the population of Orissa.

">Orissa is that little area which has been an imaginary boundary by Cartographers, but part of India, where 3.19 crore people live out of which 1.5 crore have been going through hell, through hurricane gale and rains of destruction.

">Sir, one-third of Orissa, which we now call, has been destroyed. Half of it is paralysed or totally wiped out. Some of us like Shri Kanungo, Shri Sahu, myself, my colleague Shri Madhavrao Scindia, my leader Shrimati Sonia Gandhi and many others have visited those areas. The only semblance of a habitation is a few tube wells and a level ground. Banian trees have been uprooted. Coconut trees have been uprooted. Even palm tree which is as strong, or tough as steel or iron pillar at Qutub Minar, was uprooted. If a drop of water does not drop on that palm tree, it can survive for 300 years or even more. Even palm trees were cut, as if someone has cut it with an axe. This was the scene.

">Today two lakh children are orphaned. They are destitutes. The other figures have been given by my eminent colleagues and my distinguished colleagues. The State Government claims 10,000 deaths by today"s newspapers. Prime Minister"s Office has leaked out to the Press that 25,000 thousand have died. BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation, says 100,000. So, Sir, I am only thinking of Gladstone and Disraeli who had said `lies, damn lies and statitics." The thing is that all these figures of 15 lakh families, for whom the scheme has come for emergent relief and rehabiliation, will very soon become 25 lakh families because every single day, new dead bodies are coming up. Just 15 minutes back, Dr. Nitish Sengupta was mentioning that bodies have been found in Contai, and Shri Brajakishore Tripathy will bear me out that the dead bodies of the people from the Jagatsinghpur area, have been found in Chilka lake. And, we do not know because of the receding tide which came at six metre height, how many dead bodies have been washed into the sea and where they have gone; whether they have been devoured by sharks or they have gone elsewhere or to the coast of the Bangladesh or even to the coast of Andhra Pradesh?

">Sir, therefore, the figures as of today, i.e., as of 29th of November, are only notional because more and more bodies, more and more carcasses, more and more evidence of the propensity, the magnitude and the severity of this holocaust is being unearthed. About the total damage, God alone knows.

">The infrastructure belonging to the Government Department, on the last report which I saw of the Orissa Government, was 2,500 crore. Now, my friend, Shri Anadi Sahu is mentioning about industry which is 3,000 crore. Now, total agricuture has been wiped out. Today we are very fortunate that the new Cabinet Minister of Agriculture is present here who comes from Eastern India. The 1866 famine also hit at that time the composite State of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa where millions died. And that was the first time that the famine code was ever thought out by the Britishers. The famine code which is quite archaic and antiquated, I think, in the threshold of the next millennium requires a lot of revision.

Shri Kanungo was mentioning about the famine code. He has been a distinguished Member of the Legislative Assembly of Orissa. The Famine Relief Code in Orissa was revised last in 1980, about twenty years ago. ... (Interruptions) It might have been updated or amended later but the whole thing was revised last in 1980 and it says that the compensation for a totally washed Rs. 3500, total collapsed house is Rs.2,000 and for a partially broken one is Rs.1,000 and so on. What is the value of a rupee today? If it was a hundred paise for a rupee in 1960, it is nine paise today.

I met a young CRP officer who has just come back from Kargil. He somehow recognized me, got down from his vehicle and said, `I am just coming back straight from Kargil but I would like to salute the people of Orissa, particularly Jagatsinghpur and Ersama. We took on only the Pakistanis but here the people have had the guts and courage to take on the Creator, the wind and are surviving." This was the 18th day of the cyclone, that is, the 16th of this month. The people have been bearing it with a lot of patience, tolerance and a lot of courage.

What my hon. colleagues and friends have been very graphically mentioning about the trials and tribulations is a fact. For the first fortnight or so, nobody can deny the fact that all the relief material were not reaching the people. There was no way of reaching there. Hon. Ministers Shri George Fernandes and Shri Naveen Patnaik are here. They also visited that area. When they landed in Paradip, it was far less difficult compared to Ersama, Balikuda and Astarang. In those areas, the people were in such a mood that they were not willing to meet people. They wanted relief. It was only the Air Force helicopter - the Army Aviation Corps helicopter - which took the two Ministers there. Otherwise, there was no way of reaching there. It took some time for them to reach there.

It is a fact that many State Governments have helped. It has been already stated by Shri Madhavrao Scindia and I would not like to repeat it again. About 11 States rushed in food. In fact, Andhra Pradesh was the first because they sent in the relief material from the Vizag side. Had those policemen not come, I think, those food grains and those relief materials also would have been looted because there was organized looting, not by the affected people but by the antisocial elements.

When on the 1st I first arrived in Bhubaneswar, I think, Shri Braja Kishore Tripathi was also with me. The former Union Minister Shri Srikanta Jena was also there. One Minister and an IG of Police were lamenting over the fact that as they were proceeding to Chandbali and the food trucks were arriving, some vehicles came, looted the relief material and went back. At that time, there was a breach on the National Highway No.5 and so the antisocial elements also had a field day.

Thanks to the policemen of Andhra Pradesh and thanks to your Electricity Board, some restoration took place. The Government of Orissa did have some police force at its disposal. I say this because the first thing that happened was a communication failure: whether it was interpersonal, telephone, road, rail or air, there was no communication for four or five days. It is being restored gradually. I must thank and commend the Department of Communications as well as the Railways. They have done a fantastic job.

No one could have done better than the Ministry of Defence. The soldiers, the sailors and the airmen risked their lives and they had been doing an excellent work. Even the Department of Communication and the Ministry of Railways have done a fantastic job. But the work was very stupendous. If we in Parliament think that within a month"s time, we can bring those 14 districts to normalcy then we are asking for the moon and we should go to Ranchi to have ourselves checked up. In Ranchi, there is a asylum! The environment has been totally destroyed. As Shri Hannan Mollah was mentioning, there is environmental degradation. Last year, we had more than 3000 people who died of sunstroke or heat stroke. I think, in the coming year, we will have far more than 3000 because not a single tree is standing from Balasore right up to Gopalpur or Berhampur. The same is the case with the interior districts. Shri Madhavrao Scindia was mentioning about Dhenkanal and Angul; but I will say Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar, Khurd and Nayagarh, which are at least 100 miles inside, that means, it is 160 kms. inside.

A map by the Indian Meteorological Department and by the Satellite Imagery have shown that for 400 kms. by 200 kms. depth, the cyclone has gone and along with the cyclone, there was incessant rain which has brought in floods. All the little rivulets had been over-flooded; all the cross-bunds and embankments had been broken. It was a tremendous task; and until and unless one goes there and sees the places, one will not get a full comprehension of the magnitude of the problem.

In fact, in these nine coastal districts, civilization or habitation has simply disappeared. We do not know how man people have died and we do not know how many people have to be given relief or rehabilitation. In fact, this was the most prosperous area of Orissa. The areas between Balasore and Berhampur are agriculturally and industrially most prosperous. Human resource-wise, I would say that it was the storehouse. That is what Shri Madhavrao Scindia said. Maybe, 60% to 70% of the bureaucracy and the administration of Orissa come from these districts and these districts are the old British India districts where access to education was very easy. It is like Ms. Amartya Sen"s book on `Developmental Economics". These are the people who had access to it. The entire State Government machinery was wiped out in 24 hours. But it is very easy for us to speak here after a month, after hindsight, why it did not respond or react.

Here we have a Chief Minister, a former colleague of ours, a valued and respected colleague of ours who frantically rang up the Defence Minister on the 27th. He has gone on record. I am grateful to hon. Defence Minister; like all good Defence Ministers, he has stuck to the high traditions of the Ministry of Defence. He has called a spade a spade. He is one man who has not criticized the Chief Minister. When he visited those areas, he said that nobody told him that they had not received relief. That was the last statement made about three or four days back, and I am subject to correction. It has appeared in The Indian Express. (Interruptions) It appeared three or four days back; let us not make it frivolous.

Here was a person who was cut off from civilization. He was not even in communication with the Chief Secretary who was only 100 yards away because during those three days, wind was howling at 300 kmph. The Barabati stadium is one of the finest cricket grounds in the whole of the Eastern Hemisphere; there was no chhath; and the way the tin sheets, the corrugated sheets and the asbestos sheets were flying around looked as if the eagles were flying or it was like the Junkers-88 of the Second World War; it was making an awful sound.

The population of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar was terrified and petrifed by the thought that at any time their houses may collapse. I saw this with my own eyes. I have brought the photographs which were taken while going from Ersama to Ambiti. Concrete columns and Mandaps collapsed in three places. Such was the velocity of the wind. And here was the Chief Minister who had one satellite phone. The Iridium batteries were discharged after a few hours and in that limited time, that is on 29th and 30th, he spoke to the hon. Prime Minister, hon. Defence Minister and all the Chief Ministers. The Defence Ministry was ready on 27th itself, but the weather was so foul and hostile that neither the Defence Minister nor any other Minister could come. Shri Jual Oram, the Minister of Tribal Affairs, could land only in Kolaikonda. They could not go further. They tried to go by chopper. ...(Interruptions)

The holocaust is worse than that of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I had the privilege of going to Hiroshima when I was part of 1994 Asian Games. Shri Prakash Shah who was our representative in the United Nations took us to Hiroshima. When they explained that horrible experience, they said that when you go back to your country, please tell your people that no one should go through the kind of crisis that we went through in the forties. So, I also feel that no one should experience this kind of suffering which we went through. Civilization and habitation has been totally annihilated. There is no trace of forty-five or fifty villages. In some villages you find an old man, a little kid, and a middle-aged lady who are not related to each other. I saw dead bodies strewn around and there is no means for cremating them, excepting to push them into the sea or into the nullah which goes upto Padampur. Yet people are surviving with only what they have. There is nothing over their heads. One hundred miles inside, two villages were uprooted as if there was a samudramanthan. They were all tribals. The Scheduled Castes were staying in chatayees. What happened in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak and Balasore? Shri Anadi Charan Sahu was speaking about cashewnuts and coconuts. Those people who were above the poverty line have now become beggars and destitutes. They are now living below the poverty line. In Orissa 22 per cent tribals and 19 per cent Scheduled Castes were living.

Prof. Lakadawala had said that 58 per cent of the people were living below the poverty line. Somebody has to find out whether this percentage has increased or decreased. It is because many people must have died. History has the way of repeating itself. I do not blame anybody in particular. Right from Shrimati Indira Gandhi in 1965 to Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, leaders are making pilgrimages to Orissa. We suffer from drought, flood and cyclone which have eroded the capacity of the people, and the State Government to mobilise the resources. Shri Ronajit Roy from Anand Bazar Patrika has written a very good book called `Agony of West Bengal" in which he has taken into consideration Bihar, Assam, Orissa and some parts of Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, and came to the conclusion that systematically the base has been eroded by natural calamities, by impractical and normative approach which we have been following right from the First Five Year Plan by equating these impoverished States with richer States like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka.

So, the regional imbalances accentuated. Today, neither Shri Gamang nor Shri Vajpayee, if he goes as the Chief Minister of Orissa, will be able to bring up the State because the size of our Plan is Rs.10,000 crore. Today, the loss is about Rs.50,000-60,000 crore. As I said, statistics mean nothing.

SHRI PRABHAT SAMANTRAY (KENDRAPARA): What can be done then?

SHRI K.P. SINGH DEO : What can be done is, we should come together. Not only the State and the Centre which have already wittingly or unwittingly, but also the people of India have responded magnificently. Eleven to twelve Chief Ministers have responded. The Leader of the Opposition also got some of the State Governments to adopt districts which some people may like or may not like. My district is not one of them. I am quite happy. Angul is not one of them. If the people who have suffered are adopted by States, we should not dictate whether they should give us blankets or polythene or whether they should bring up schools or hospitals or help us in our Rabi programme. The Government of Karnataka have already started constructing two-storeyed building.... (Interruptions)

SHRI PRABHAT SAMANTRAY : Nowhere.

SHRI K.P. SINGH DEO : No, I beg your pardon. They have started constructing buildings, so that they can act as a shelter. So also, the Madhya Pradesh Government has printed a booklet, prepared a management plan in consultation with the State Government and the district administration. So, the valuable suggestions made by the hon. Members find place in Shri Gamang"s announcement on what the Orissa Government wishes to do.

As far as rescue and relief work is concerned, it is over. One month has already passed. Let us not make parasites and beggars out of the society. Let us get into rehabilitation, restoration, re-building and re-construction. But what about the resources? Where from will the resources come? Can a tiny State like Orissa with impoverish tax base and with 35 years of natural calamity which has eroded it and broken the backbone of its economy do on its own? It cannot. It will be a wishful thinking. So, the Central Government has to come in and we should not stand on formalities of semantics.

I would just like to read out for the benefit of my good friend, the hon. Raksha Mantri. We did have a chat just before the debate. It is on declaring or not declaring a national calamity. I would quote para 9.17 of the Tenth Finance Commission Report. It says:

"We have considered the issue carefully and are of the view that a calamity of rare severity would necessarily have to be adjudged on a case-to-case basis taking into account.."

It is not a normative approach. It is a case-to-case approach. This calamity is the severest of the century.

"Inter alia, the intensity and magnitude of the calamity, the level of relief assistance needed, the capacity of the State to tackle the problem, the alternatives and flexibility available with the Plans to provide succour and relief, any definition bristles with insurmountable difficulties is likely to be counter-productive."

This is the catch word. The Tenth Finance Commission did not impose it on us. It left it to the Parliament and to the Government of India to use their discretion. We are grateful to the Tenth Finance Commission. I would quote para 9.18:

"Once a calamity is deemed to be of rarest severity, it really ought to be dealt with as a national calamity requiring assistance of support beyond what is envisaged in the CRF scheme."

It goes without saying that additional assistance, not only advance plan assistance but also grants, from the Centre would be required.

17.00 hrs. It is because everything will have to be paid for like from Andhra Pradesh, we have got third reminder to pay up Rs.8 crore. Prof. Venkateswarlu, I am sorry to say this. I have seen the third reminder myself only day before yesterday. So, I do not know whether the Minister of Defence is going to ask the State of Orissa to pay up for the petrol, oil, diesel and for the aid to civil authorities.

SHRI M.V.V.S. MURTHI (VISAKHAPATNAM): Sir, that is apart from the aid... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN : He is not yielding.

PROF. UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU: Sir, it is not that a bill has been sent for everything. Certain things must have been supplied on cost.

SHRI K.P. SINGH DEO : Sir, everybody is saying that Shri Chandrababu Naidu is God... (Interruptions).

PROF. UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU : Sir, he must accept that Shri Chandrababu Naidu is now being worshipped in Andhra Pradesh more than anywhere else... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN: He is not yielding. Shri Singh Deo, please conclude now. There are many Members and the debate has to be concluded by 6 o"clock.

SHRI K.P. SINGH DEO : Sir, this is a very serious subject. We have been suffering for the last 35 years. This is not the first cyclone that we are facing.

MR. CHAIRMAN: I know that. That is why, you have been allowed for half-an-hour.

SHRI M.V.V.S. MURTHI : Sir, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has sent certain things on their request. They have procured them and supplied. It is not that they have sent those things on their own... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN: Please take your seat.

PROF. UMMAREDDY VENKATESWARLU : Sir, he is telling that there is a bill for Rs.8 crore. I and the people of Andhra Pradesh will be happy if he could provide the details of this bill. He should tell what are the things for which this bill has been sent... (Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN: Please take your seat. He is not yielding.

... (Interruptions)

SHRI K.P. SINGH DEO : It further says:

"In actual effect many States did extend support to the affected State both in terms of financial grants and by sending material help and teams of doctors etc. We would like to place this urge for national solidarity in a moment of distress on a more formal basis in our scheme. We, therefore, propose that in addition to CRF in States, a National Fund for Calamity Relief should be created to which the Centre and the State will subscribe and which will be managed by National Relief Committee on which both the Centre and the States should be represented."

Again it says that the Minister of Agriculture would head this National Fund for Calamity Relief. But I am grateful to the hon. Prime Minister for having appointed hon. Minister of Defence has head of the Task Force. This does not find a mention in the Tenth Finance Commission report. What prevents them from calling it a national calamity when it has already reached international proportions. We have amended the Constitution 85 times in the last 49 years. Can we not change an English word and instead of treating it like calamity, declare it a national calamity. I appeal to the Government to do this.

So, while we are discussing about the cost which will be required to be paid, we have to ascertain the value of human life. It is different at different stages. Rupees fifty thousand ex-gratia was given for those who died in the Orissa cyclone and Rs.5 lakh for those who died in Jammu and Kashmir. Recently, we have extended it to Kargil and to other places. The Indian Airlines and the Indian Railways give differently. The State Governments give differently. Is the value of life of a person who died in the cyclone in the Eastern region of India is less? Or is he a second class citizen? Does he not pay taxes?

Does he not vote for us? Does he not participate in nation building? Why should we not care for the value of the lives which we have lost? It is human resource that we have lost. While the State Government has given what would be required to restore social, economic and administrative infrastructure, I do not know whether they have given anything or whether we are concerned with the human value, their dignity and the honour which we can get through development.

Holland also, in between two wars, was devastated by natural calamities. It is by sheer food for work that they have rebuilt the Zweeder Zee Today Holland is exporting electricity, it is exporting timber. So are the Scandinavian countries. They are exporting cheese, milk, butter and flowers of course. Therefore, we should think in a big way and get international aid. I do not know why we are suffering from a complex in appealing to the United Nations of which we are a member. We are not trying to get something with strings attached. I reiterate that the Central Government, State Governments, Armed Forces, Central Paramilitary Forces, Territorial Army, Nehru Yuvak Kendra, Anand Marg, Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh, schools, colleges, women, doctors, social workers and Indians who are living abroad in America and Germany have been sending aid, but there is an impediment. I see correspondence where they have said that they have to go through a lot of red-tapism.

Here is a newspaper cutting that I have. I would not like to say about anyone who is not here. "MEA Babus sat on US Orissa relief offer". This is the newspaper cutting from The Indian Express. This is from San Francisco, November 16. There are many such things on Italy, on Germany, on France and Japan. I do not know how reliable is the person who met us and told us this. I believe somebody tried to play down the tone of the UN in making an international appeal for India. We must rise above this pettiness and we must get international aid for this from the UN like Soviet Union, China and Turkey did. I am talking of the Tashkent earthquake in 1960.

I would like to make a few suggestions. We have to recall the lessons learnt from the history for the last 35 years. We have been negligent in that whenever there is a cyclone, we have debated and forgotten about it. Therefore, we are suffering today. You were my Chairman in the Standing Committee on Railways when we said that for areas which were deficient in railways, there should be a separate Sub-Plan for Railways. It was unanimously passed. I demand that that part of India which is impoverished, which is being impoverished every year, eroded, there should be a special Plan for those four or five States or that part of Eastern India which is beset with this sort of weather related or natural calamities, whether you call it national or not.

The second is about communication. Today we are living in an age of technology and information technology. There are sat-radios, sat-phones, uninterrupted power supply, computerisation and video conferences with every Collector like Shri Chandrababu Naidu has done. This should be introduced. Shri Rajiv Gandhi had introduced computerisation - I was his Minister for Personnel - to every District Collector through NICNET. Why can we not do this?

The third is, investment is directly proportional to employment and human resource development. Orissa requires a huge investment. This is how other States have developed because that will give employment and HRD. Some of the permanent measures are shelters and warnings which we have not followed even after cyclones, saline embankments, flood embankments, husbanding of water resources, husbanding, drinking water, extensive communications, network of roads, rail and air.

I have a suggestion to make to the hon. Defence Minister. There should be Armed Forces, particularly an Engineering Regiment, presence somewhere in that area. It was under consideration during Gen. Vaidya"s time and Gen. Krishna Rao"s time. But unfortunately, it never materalised. It will help you to get over the logistic difficulties and time and cost run-off, if you locate an engineering brigade or an engineering regiment.

Finally, coming to the training of personnel to handle such a crisis, everything is there in the relief code, whether it is in the Central relief code or State relief code. But no training is given. Therefore, there is time lag between the event and evacuation or relief. Every time we will be debating that there was inadequacy either by the State Government or the Central Government and while the debate will go on, the people will go on suffering.

I thank you very much for giving me the time to speak in this discussion.

SHRI PRABHAT SAMANTRAY (KENDRAPARA): Sir, I am grateful that on the last 29th, when I raised this issue in this House, all my colleagues and the Government had expressed their concern about the seriousness of the cyclone. I belong to that unfortunate place, Kendrapara where nothing is left to call it a house or a school or a college. I am personally and unitedly thankful to Shri Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and the people of Andhra Pradesh for their contributions, even though attempts have been made to erode their contributions. We will remember him always and we will also not forget the Defence personnel who saved our life. We have been hearing their contributions in the front but we have seen them when they rescued our people.

">I have been hearing praise for the efficiency of the State Government and the Central Government. I wish they are efficient but the fact remains that even after a month of the cyclone, the promise of emergent relief within 15 days could not materialise and relief could not reach the people. In most of the places, relief did not reach people even till day before yesterday. It is 10 or 12 days since they got relief. That is the efficiency of the Government. Let us judge it from that angle. I admire that the Central Government is pumping food stuff and finance. With our own eyes, we have seen the piling up of food stocks coming from voluntary organisations. If there is a cricket match today, probably, the food stocks will outnumber the spectators present there. Even if each panchayat, right from Puri to Balosore, could have been provided one truck of food stocks today, then also the Government probably would have sufficient stocks at their disposal. That is their efficiency. But people do not have food to eat. Everyone, from rich to the poor, is in the streets and we call that we are efficient. Even after a month of cyclone, a piece of polyethylene could not be provided to the people and we call ourselves to be sympathetic and that we are doing everything for them. In what way we are helping them? Families have been washed away. In a family of 35 members, only a child of nine years is left. Who is looking after that child? How will he survive? With a heavy heart, I am telling that we are close to a famine-like situation in this coastal district. Kindly save us. I appeal to the Central Government and my friends to save us from this famine-like situation, inefficiency and deficiencies of this system.

">It has been told that relief materials have been supplied in the shape of rice, dal, gur and chura. But in most of the blocks, where I moved from village to village, I do not know what has gone there - either rice or chura.

">Sir, our ladies have been honoured with this kind of a relief saree. It is nothing less than a band-aid cloth.

">MR. CHAIRMAN : Shri Prabhat Samantray, you should not display it.

">SHRI PRABHAT SAMANTRAY: We have become poor. I admit that we have nothing to claim today. But we have not lost our dignity. Is it the piece of saree to be supplied? We have been the victims of nature. But we have not committed any crime to get our food to survive...(Interruptions)

">SHRI ANIL BASU : How have you got this? This saree was supposed to be given to the affected people. How did you bring the saree inside the House without giving it to the affected people?...(Interruptions)

">SHRI PRABHAT SAMANTRAY : I have not committed any crime. We have got the poor quality saree...(Interruptions)

">Sir, I have given a memorandum to the hon. Prime Minister on the fifth day when he visited Orissa. I have also submitted a memorandum to the hon. Prime Minister on the 19th. After this, the situation is very bad. We have motivated our cultivators to go in for cultivation because we know that relief will not be the mode of our survival. But the water which is needed most for the cultivation cannot be made available because power supply could not be met till today to any part of the remotest place or villages. The lift irrigation points are such that nothing can be done. Diesel pumps are not available. This is the fourth cyclone. In 1971, when there was a cyclone, I remember that when the State Government approached the Punjab Government, the Punjab Government could provide us a large number of tractors because bullocks were not there to cultivate the field. The water sources are almost impossible to be used. The way electrification and power supply is going on, it is not possible to have power supply and lift irrigation points. And by December 15, if seedling is not done, the second crop is impossible to be raised. We want to survive. So, please help us to survive.

">We have been told that some of the Public Sector Undertakings of the Government of India are coming to reconstruct and rehabilitate the people in different blocks of the devastated area. Some names of the Public Sector Undertakings have been mentioned. But those Public Sector Undertakings need relief for themselves. They have been asked to help us! I do not know what is going to happen. I am not going to name the Public Sector Undertakings nor the blocks they have been allotted. I wish the allottee and the Government of India will consider their priority in helping us.

">The hon. Prime Minister, in his wisdom, has formed a Task Force and the Chairman of the Task Force is the Defence Minister. He has visited three times after taking over the responsibility. But I am sorry to say that we have never had a chance to talk to him about our plight...(Interruptions) But the fact remains that the information that has been provided to him is not correct. Some area which is non-existent as a block or a portion of some area has been included as the portion of some other area so that the decison can be taken at the Government of India level. I do not know what are the parameters for all these things. What is wrong in consulting the Members of Parliament representing the people or the MLAs representing the people?

">I have been listening to my esteemed colleague Shri Madhavrao Scindia. The day he, alongwith the Leader of the Oppostion, visited my constituency and was talking to the people about the relief work, what made the Chief Minister to run to the helicopter and hide himself? Is it not a fact that right from day one, the people who are monitoring the relief operations in Orissa from the State Secretariat have never visited the cyclone affected areas? Is it not a fact that almost all the Ministers of the State Government have not visited the cyclone affected areas? They do not have the first-hand knowledge of what is happening there. They have been relying more on the reports of the BDOs, Tehsildars and Collectors. Based on these reports they have been providing information to the Central Government. First we have been made to die by the nature and if rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes are taken up on the basis of such reports, I am afraid, probably we will be forced to die in an unnatural way.

">Sir, I have some suggestions to make which I have gathered after talking to the people as to how they want to survive, not on relief alone. I have already stated that water and seeds are the most important things that are required to start cultivation. Apart from that, the cost of diesel has gone up and with that cost it would be difficult for a farmer to continue the cultivation and gain something out of it. So, subsidisation of diesel is needed in those affected areas for those who will be going in for cultivation. Then, fertiliser should also be supplied at a subsidised rate to the farmers in the affected areas who will be going in for the second crop. Now, about a lakh acres of land have been salinised. The people are telling that it cannot be cultivated for years together and without that it is impossible to help these people. Unfortunately or fortunately, that is the coastal belt of my constituency and the constituency of Shri Kanungo. The people there have been doing fishing for generations now and the Marine Law has prevented them from going to fishing. I do not know how they will survive now. So, I appeal to the hon. Prime Minister to, at least, relax it for six months so that they can go in for fishing, catch fish and survive because they cannot go in for cultivation in these areas.

">Sir, there was a `Food for Work" programme earlier. After this destruction I would suggest that a `Food for Massive Plantation" should be taken up in all seriousness so that people can go in for plantation as well as earn something and provide food to their families. Then, provision of low cost houses for the people in this area is urgently needed because in every four or five years there is a cyclone. I hope the Government of India will be considering to provide houses to the people below the poverty line a house like the ones under the Indira Awas Yojana. Then, the people who intend to have pucca houses can be provided a loan of Rs.40,000/- with five per cent interest for 15 years so that they can have pucca houses and avoid this type of destruction in future.

">Apart from that, a suggestion can be made to have a two-storeyed school in each and every village which can be converted into a cyclone centre during a cyclones and floods. It can be helpful to the people. They can take shelter in it and survive.

">Apart from that, there are lakhs and lakhs of people who have survived because of their self-employment or engagement. They are doing pisciculture. They are having banana or coconut or betel leaf plantation, grocery shops, poultry, Jersey cows and tractors. There are so many people who have been living on their own. Now, they have lost everything. It is for the consideration of the Government of India to provide them soft loans ranging from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 1 lakh with less margin money and less rate of interest and the repayment could be within 15 to 20 years so that they are able to start their own business. Thus, they would not be a burden for the society as well as the Government.

">Finally, there was a proposal from the Government of Orissa five years back for construction of a highway-cum-sea wall from Kakinada to Digha in West Bengal through Orissa which would be a protection from sea waves as well as used as a highway linking Calcutta and Andhra Pradesh. That proposal has been sent to the World Bank. If Government of India takes interest and that work is started and along side that road if in a width of one kilometre the mangroves are planted, probably the future will have scope for forests to fight the cyclone onslaught which is coming very often.

">With these words, I appeal to all of you and the Government of India to help our people to survive and live and see the next millennium.

">SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSI (RAIGANJ): Mr. Chairman, Sir, I understand that many speakers are to speak on this subject. I understand that the Prime Minister will intervene and the Minister of Agriculture will reply. There will be other Members of the Cabinet to intervene. So, I think, it will not be possible to complete the whole debate by six o"clock.

">MR. CHAIRMAN : Let us see.

">SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSI : Would you please take the consensus before six o"clock or will it be after that so that one can plan the programme?

">MR. CHAIRMAN: We will decide it after six o"clock. Now, Shrimati Geeta Mukherjee will speak.

SHRIMATI GEETA MUKHERJEE (PANSKURA): Hon. Chairman, I have had the fortune of going to Orissa through Bhubaneshwar. In the last village that we could reach, some of the women told me, "Mother, we do not want anything. Give us poison so that we can die." So, from this one incident, you can imagine what the misfortune of the Orissa people could be due to this super cyclone. Many of my colleagues have given figures. I do not want to go into that. One thing is clear that due to the rule that unless a person can be identified, he cannot be taken officially in the list of those dead persons. I understand that there are some problems. But if such a calamity takes place, then, the very existence of the dead bodies should be enough. When I was visiting the affected areas, I saw mass graves where human beings as well as cattle were being put together. And the military people were putting some material like sand or some other thing and getting them filled up.

">You cannot imagine the tremendous foul smell that was there in the area. What has happened is very clear because most of the houses collapsed. These houses collapsed with the human beings trapped inside, with the result that so much of foul smell was coming. That required the services of the military personnel to clear the ways. They had to use not the ordinary saws but electrically operated saws. I have never seen such a thing in my life before. All the banyan trees were totally uprooted. Such was the tremendous impact of the cyclone. We have never seen such a calamity.

">Many of my friends have already pointed out the areas of calamity. I do not want to repeat those points because of paucity of time, but I want to say some things which the Government of Orissa and people of Orissa told us and what help they require. Naturally, they do not want to die. They want to live and they want us to let them live. They want blankets immediately so that they can cover their heads and bodies; they want food to survive and food for work so that they can go in for the next crop. It is not only the question of food for work but in every field they require some help and we have to do that.

">Apart from that, as you know, saline water has vitiated many areas of cultivation. Now, desalination has to be done but at the same time, it is true that there are certain varieties of seeds and plants which can be used in that saline water and we have a special institute for all these. I would request the Government to ask those special institutes immediately to give such seeds or plants which can be put in the saline water. Of course, after that the desalination has to come.

">I went to one of the villages where out of 180 children, school boys and girls, only three are alive. What do you expect? How could that school run in the future? It is not a question of only a building. Building, of course, is very much necessary. If there is no building, what will happen to those teachers because of this devastating situation?

">There are many aspects which have to be gone into as I understood from seeing the place there. This question of planting trees is very important. One of my friends said which is very much true that for the last two years in the Jagatsinghpur area, there have been tremendous heat waves and this year with all the trees being out of the soil that heat wave will be very much more. So whatever plantation can be done should be done quickly.

">Along with me was the Secretary of the Uttakkal Mahila Federation.

">She was telling me that they were trying to buy some banana saplings and some papaya saplings because within three months they can grow and will give some relief. Can we not do that? Can we not find them all over the country from where we can get these kind of things? So, immediately some such things are necessary; then, immediately some more things are necessary; and ultimately these things are necessary. All these things have to be gone into with very serious attention.

">Some of the things have already been mentioned by my friends. I am not repeating those, as I said. They are about saplings, tractors and buildings which will not collapse in future. In fact, I saw in one of the villages where some people are alive only because they could get on to the top of the two-storeyed building and all the others have died. Therefore, taking the area into consideration, these things have to be particularly given attention to.

As far as the Governments are concerned, this is not the time for quarreling. I am not going in for quarreling either. All that I can say is that very many States have sent relief in their own way. We need not go on having a competition, as to who has gone first and who has gone second. The person could go first because they have the experience of cyclone and they have a trained unit for dealing with such cyclone. It is no wonder that they could go first. I salute them. This is an important thing. One should understand it. These are the things which one has to learn in those areas. All over the country also we should have such cadres who can deal with cyclone in future because the cyclone in Orissa is not the last cyclone that we are going to have.

Therefore, I suggest that this cyclone should be declared as a national calamity. Why we are saying this is that once we declare it as a national calamity, then international aid can come in a big way. International Red Cross can come if it is declared as a national calamity. As you know, International Red Cross has a very big periphery of mobilising help from all the countries. Therefore, this is one of the most important points for declaring it as a national calamity.

I will not go into many other things. Providing drinking water, medicines, etc. are immediately necessary and these have already been mentioned. I need not repeat those things. But, as I said, that has to be done taking the priority into consideration as to which one has to be taken first; which one has to be taken next so that the greatest comfort can be given to the people, our own brothers and sisters, who are suffering so much.

I once again appeal to the Central Government to declare this as a national calamity because that will give us more help from all over the world. Therefore, let us not stand on formality or see what is written where because codes are not such that they are more important than human lives. To save the human lives, every code can be changed. If any code has to be changed, let it be changed. For that we are all with you and we all will be supporting it. Therefore, I hope that the Government will take into consideration and declare it as an event of a national calamity.

Thank you, Sir.

SHRI BIKRAM KESHARI DEO (KALAHANDI): Mr. Chairman, Sir, we are discussing cyclone again. At this time, the cyclone was of rare severity and it hit the coast of Orissa at a speed of 300 kilometres. It was like a bolt out of the blue for the people residing in the 14 districts, especially, the area between Paradip, Eresma and Jagatsinghpur. The constituencies of Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara were severely hit and the life of the people has been completely disturbed there. It will remain like that for a couple of months if the Government both at the State and Central levels does not come to its rescue.

">But, Sir, it has been seen that the hon. Prime Minister has reacted to this cyclone with utmost interest and with utmost attention. This Government has reacted and all the Cabinet Ministers, with the Defence Minister at the head of the Task Force, have visited the area and have assessed the severity of the situation there. Accordingly, to get life on the track, they have taken immediate and severe steps on war-footing, and also money has been granted.

">Sir, as you know, Orissa has been a land of natural calamities. The people are used to cyclone but they are not used to a cyclone of this severity. They were unprepared for it. The cyclone centred in around Paradip for six hours. When it came up at six o"clock in the morning, during that time, it was not that serious. But eventually, it developed into a severe cyclone at night at about 10 o"clock when the whole of Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara were sleeping. So, the people were taken unaware by it. Therefore, the Central Government has taken very severe steps to improve this.

">We also thank the Army who could reach Kendrapara area on the 3rd and they did their due. When they reached there, without the Army, the State machinery was completely lost. They were stunned. The entire State machinery was stunned because I visited Paradip on the 3rd with the PTI reporter. There, the sight was horrifying. There were funeral pyres of 300-400 bodies. They were being burnt. Then, there was sea water everywhere. The only dry place was the express highway built in 1962 by the late lamented Biju Patnaik who was the then Chief Minister. That was the only place of shelter on the highway. Lakhs of people were on that highway. We had to negotiate that difficulty and reach Paradip. On reaching Paradip, it was noticed that there was no potable drinking water. There was not a morsel of grain. The doctors from Andhra Pradesh had just reached. The Army had just landed. It was only by the help of the Navy that the supplies were able to reach Paradip and Jagatsinghpur ports and other affected areas. Therefore, Sir, a long-term plan has to be drawn out. Already, the hon. Prime Minister and the Government have treated this calamity as a national calamity. There is no doubt about it. It is quite strange that from the Opposition Benches, views are coming to declare it as a national calamity. Statutes do not say that. The Statutes say that a calamity of this nature has to be dealt like a national calamity and it is being dealt like a national calamity. The international community has heard about this national calamity which is being dealt by the Central Government. The United Nations has reacted; the American Government has reacted to it; and the whole world has reacted to this calamity and accepted the fact that this type of human tragedy has to be curtailed because it is like the aftermath of a war. The aftermath of the war is evident in these coastal districts.

">You will be surprised to see that there is no drinking water even today. Today, we salute the RSS and the Utkal Vipan Sahayata Samiti who are doing commendable work there. They are the people who are doing Shavasanskar. They are taking the bodies and consigning them to the flames. They are the people who are taking the cattle, the dead carcasses and consigning them to the flames. It is because of that, there is shortage of kerosene now. Shortage is being felt there. Therefore, day before yesterday, my Party had advised me to go to the district of Puri which has not been so severely affected but parts of Aslam and Kakatpur have been severely affected.

">I was surprised to see that the State machinery there has completely failed till date. One month has elapsed after the cyclone, but today, if you go and ask the people there, they have only received five kilograms of rice in one month. So, this is how the State Government is functioning. It has completely failed. There is a scandal of purchase of polythene. So, all these things have to be thought with severity and a long-termaction plan has to be drawn out to get back to normalcy in these areas. As pointed out by the hon. Members of the House, it has been seen that most of the land is inundated and devastated; no paddy can grow at places where three feet of saline mud is to be removed. That is a marathon task. Crores of paddy fields have been destroyed which is a mainstay of the agriculture of that area. If you go deeper, you will see that lakhs and lakhs of cattle have perished which is the mainstay of the agriculturists who depend on the plough. And if you go deeper into it, you will see that the farming community has completely collapsed.

">Again today I thank my Government that every Minister who has visited Orissa has given a package- be it the Ministry of Surface Department; be it the Tribal Welfare; be it the Ministry of Defence; be it the Department of Small Scale Industries; be it the Ministry of Civil Supplies or the Ministry of Food. They have given a comprehensive package, but how do we go about the package? How is it that the package reaches the poor people who have been affected? That machinery is lacking in the State of Orissa.

">I am sorry to say with a heavy heart that during this type of calamity, their internal party squabbles are going on. The people who should be working in the fields in Kendrapara and in Jagatsinghpur-what we gather from the people today-are at Delhi lobbying as to who the next Chief Minister would be. What a tragedy is this? The human misery is being felt not at Orissa but the human misery is being played with at Delhi as to who will be our next Chief Minister.

">Sir, definitely our Government will come out with a very big package and this has to be dealt with meticulously, otherwise the misery can never be mitigated.

">Sir, with these few words, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to speak.

">SHRI BRAJA KISHORE TRIPATHY (PURI): Sir, please allow some of the Members from the affected areas.

SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSI (RAIGANJ): Mr. Chairman, Sir, I join and associate myself with all the Members of this House to express, first of all, solidarity to the people of Orissa and to appreciate the role played by almost all the State Governments and social organisations in the recent crisis in Orissa.

">Sir, on this matter, I think, all parties should join together in this House without any political acrimony from this or that side to evaluate the gravity of the situation and to respond as a nation to the cause of Orissa with total commitment and dedication for the revival and construction for future. This is a State which gave us a number of leaders in our national movement; this is a State which is producing talents, academicians and scholars; and this is a State which faced poverty year after year and yet things did not improve.

">This is not the time to discuss politics. I shall confine myself only to a few of my suggestions at this hour.

">Sir, the crisis is not done by the political parties, either at the Centre or in the States. Some say, it is an act of God. We also say, it is an act of God, but it is a natural disaster of a magnitude we have never seen before. As Shrimati Geeta Mukherjee was telling, some of the people of Orissa at the grassroot level are really crying and crying. They are saying: Let us get poison and die. So, we should understand their plight from that point. The Prime Minister who is here, has visited Orissa a number of times with his Cabinet colleagues. The leader of our party and the Leader of the Opposition, Shrimati Sonia Gandhi has also paid visits and had several interactions. Today, if we all join together to respond to the situation and to offer constructive suggestions, that could perhaps liberate Orissa from the present crisis. We hope we shall commit and dedicate ourselves to that without taking any political mileage out of this issue.

">Natural calamity and national calamity are two different things. My dear colleague and friend Shri George Fernandes many a time was very vociferous on this issue - for which we appreciate him - that nobody in this country is supreme than the Parliament. The supremacy of the Parliament has always been adhered to. If there are some shortcomings in any of the statutes, and if there is any lacuna anywhere for which we cannot declare this calamity as a national calamity to mop up resources, then what for are we sitting here in the Parliament? We can decide the course of action ourselves. We can give our observations and the Government can bring out an enactment as and when it feels necessary, if not tomorrow. Why can we not do it? The presence of the Finance Minister was very much essential today. I know the Prime minister is the Head of the Government, but I also know that ultimately Shri Nitish Kumar, who is a very dynamic person and whom the Prime Minister perhaps thought it fit to bring from the Ministry of Surface Transport to the Ministry of Agriculture - and I thank him for his judgement has to respond so far as relief is concerned. But Shri Nitish Kumar cannot do anything unless the Finance Minister spells out his capacity in the Government at the moment, keeping in view the forthcoming Budget and then find out what additional resources the entire nation can mobilise, both from within and outside. I was told that after the earthquake in Latur, it was Shri Manmohan Singh who gave his wise advice at that time that granting aid and assistance through the World Bank at one per cent interest only for a forty-year slab was necessary for the rehabilitation of the victims. Such kind of talents and experts can be utilised in this hour of peril to see how resources can be mopped up to save Orissa from total disaster. Through you, Sir, I would like to address to the hon. Prime Minister to first find out the ways and means. If any semicolon, comma, full stop or a jugglery of words is preventing him to declare it as a national calamity, he can use his own wisdom and come forward with a proposal. The entire Parliament, without any deviation here or there, will stand by him on this matter. He should come forward with the proposal as to how and in what manner the Government can mobilise the resources. After all, we have paid extra levy after the war with Pakistan in 1971 for the refugees from Bangladesh. If the Government feels that they should come out with an additional levy, we will consider it with the patriotic responsibility. To defend the cause of Orissa and to mop up additional resources, I think the Government should come forward with that proposal and the Parliament will not get into any controversy in this matter because this, as I said, is a cause concerning the entire nation and is not limited to Orissa alone. Orissa is a part of India and it is suffering now. India cannot keep quiet at this hour.

">1754 hours (Mr. Speaker in the Chair) ">Mr. Speaker, Sir, I further request through you that let the package not be a package in an isolated manner - one from the Ministry of Surface Transport, one from the Railways, and like that. Let there be a comprehensive package for the economic revival of Orissa. The construction plan should come out of this package. Forget the plan estimate. Annual Plan estimate is a routine thing for Orissa. This crisis that has created this situation in Orissa is not requiring a plan assistance of routine nature.

">It is a total reconstruction and revival plan for which our Parliament has to put the stamp of approval. If you come out here for that reason with a comprehensive plan of action and package and seek the mandate of the House, I think everyone of us, who is present here, will only ditto of what you require for the revival of Orissa. This is the second thing.

">The first priority should be given to another aspect. I fully share the concern of other Members to desalinate the land for the salinated water is there. The agricultural crops, not for today but for many many years, are going to be lost.

">I thank the Members from Orissa and through them the respective parties and especially the people of Puri for one reason. A lot of tourists from our State were locked up in Puri during the cyclone. I salute the people of Orissa that right from the poorest to the hotel owners they took care of all the tourists including dignity of women risking everything that they have without asking for any extra charges from them. They said : "You have come to visit our State; we may be in a crisis but we will not put you in a crisis". I heard it from many people. I can understand the greatness of the people of Orissa, especially the town of Puri as to how they stood by the outsiders when they lost everything at their own home.

">Therefore, I strongly feel that we should not discuss politics at all in this subject. We should stand by the people of Orissa. Yes, when the elections come, let us score politics. But now we shall concentrate on the revival and restoration programme.

">Sir, subjects like educational institutions, electricity, drinking water, health and industry have been dealt quite at length by many respected Members and various other groups. But the ideal plan could be, apart from your revival plan, to find out the experts. During the discussion on the subject in the previous Session, hon. Member Shri N. Janardana Reddy was dealing with the subject and he made a very noble suggestion. We may have everything. We may have the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. The armed forces and the "Operation Sahayata" might be doing excellent job. We support them and salute them. But we still lack - at the end of this 20th century - the actual technical expertise for the crisis management in such devastation like cyclone. We lack what is there in Hawaii, in the U.S. and in the Florida. Even in the recent disaster in Turkey, we are told the technical experts have evaluated a crisis management plan within 48 hours. We are lacking that expertise.

">Therefore, this suggestion was mooted by Shri Janardana Reddy the other day. Can you think of or can the Government conceive of an idea of a kind of an institute of national disaster management, not for today but whenever we have such a situation on a regular basis? ...(Interruptions)

">SHRI TRILOCHAN KANUNGO : It is there in the Indian Institute of Public Administration. ...(Interruptions)

">SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSI : No, I am not saying that. There should be a permanent core group in the institute who will be expertising themselves for such a disaster to offer all kinds of support in a regular manner.

">Hon. Prime Minister, by this time, we have already identified which are the cyclone-prone areas, drought-prone areas and flood-prone areas of this country. We can foresee the future of the 21st Century as to how we can cope up with this problem year after year with a more technical expertise and having regard to the fact that if this happens in Orissa today it might happen tomorrow in Andhra Pradesh. We will again start the same debate here.

">I feel that at the cost of the life of the people of Orissa, whom I treat not as victims but as martyrs, we should think of the future. They are poor people. They died because we lacked the opportunities in scientific and economic fields for providing them help at the hour of a crisis. We all are responsible for that. But the magnitude is such that no Government on the earth can cope up with the problem instantly, whatever we may say politically and otherwise.

">Therefore, Sir, I appeal to the hon. Prime Minister to please have the views from the experts, to please have an understanding of the situation with much more sincerity and to please take up this matter seriously, not as a matter of challenge of N.D.A. versus Orissa Congress or a challenge of Orissa Congress for the B.J.P. Government or as a limited issue of Orissa but to take this as an issue of the nation and to stand by the people of Orissa as a whole. The Parliament will respond to it free from all political barriers to stand by the issue.

">Thank you very much.

">MR. SPEAKER : If the House agrees we can extend the time of the House by one hour to complete this subject.

SEVERAL HON. MEMBERS: Yes.

">18.00 hrs. SHRI JAGANNATH MALLIK (JAJPUR): Mr. Speaker Sir, I have been hearing my hon. colleagues for the last four hours and I am not going to repeat all those things.

">SHRI ANIL BASU (ARAMBAGH): Sir, will the Prime Minister reply today or tomorrow?

">MR. SPEAKER: Today, you have to complete this subject.

">SHRI JAGANNATH MALLIK : Sir, I am not going to repeat those things. Before I speak a few words on the subject that we are discussing, I extend my gratification to the hon. Prime Minister of India who has come in time, to help the people in distress and the sister Governments of different States, particularly Shri Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh who came forward with a helping hand in the hour of distress.

">We have discussed many things. I want to bring it to the notice of the House, through you Sir, that the unprecedented cyclone and flood which took place in Orissa on 29th and 30th of October has devastated a large part of the State covering 10 districts. The velocity of the cyclone was about 260 to 320 kilometres per hour which uprooted almost all the trees in 10 districts and devastated about 25 lakhs thatched houses. That is the magnitude of the damage caused by the cyclone which was followed by flood. The flood, which came with tides of 25 feet height, swept over the entire coastline of five districts and devastated entire standing crop over 30 lakh hectares of land. Apart from these things, it has killed about one lakh people and over a lakh of cattle. The total loss caused by this cyclone and flood is worth about Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 70,000 crore. So, this is the magnitude of the devastation.

">Therefore, the Government of India - as the Prime Minister has already extended his help - should continue its help till people are given a chance to restore their positions. We have been talking about many things. But who were the persons killed? Just before they died, they were engaged in providing us with food, with clothing, and with shelters to put our heads in. They were the persons who had met the unfortunate fate. Therefore, it is the moral responsibility of the Government to explore all possibilities. ....(Interruptions) It is the responsibility of the Central Government because the State Government has already failed.

">Our hon. friend, Shri Scindia was telling `let us not do politics". I am one with him. But it remains a fact that for three days after the flood and cyclone, the State Government could not move. It is a fact that the police force of Andhra Pradesh could penetrate and go to the extreme end of affected areas before the State Police could reach there. Therefore, they had also started clearing the roads. Thereafter, the Army reached. Apart from the work done by the Army and the Police, as I know, the State Government did nothing for four days after the cyclone and flood. This is the real position.

">Now, we have been talking many things about how to rehabilitate them, how to take up the restoration, next crop and all that. I have got definite suggestions to make regarding next crop. The next crop is very difficult to take up--I am sorry to say that no hon. Member could raise this point-because seed is the basic element for the next crop.

">Since ten districts, which are rice-growing areas, have been totally devastated, it is not possible to arrange for seeds which are suitable to our conditions. The National Seeds Corporation is the only Agency which can supply not only paddy seeds, but also the seeds of pulses and vegetables. Whatever seeds that the National Seeds Corporation could arrange, most of them, may not be suitable to our conditions because the agro-climatic conditions differ from place to place. That is why, whatever seeds could be arranged by the national Seeds Corporation must be put to test to find out whether they will germinate or not. That is the number one thing. Along with seeds, we have also to arrange water, electricity, pesticides, fertilisers etc. There are many things. The way the Government of India have started working, I know that it will definitely take all possible measures to see that bridges, roads, school buildings, canal embankments and all those other things that have been destroyed are restored within a possible time.

">But the point is, where from the money will come? The State Government is so poor that the per capita income of people is Rs. 6.40 per day. The total income of the State Government, both from direct and indirect taxes, is only about Rs. 2,500 crore, whereas the salary component of the employees is about Rs. 3,500 crore. So, you can well imagine about the financial position of the State Government. In order to mitigate the miseries of the people and to meet the situation, it is only the Central Government and the sister Governments of other States which can come to their rescue. While discussing, I can visualise a scene where a crippled daughter is crying before her mother asking for help. The Central Government is in the position of a mother, and the State of Orissa is in the position of a crippled daughter. Now, let the Government take a decision on how best they can help the State.

">I appeal to the generous Prime Minister and all our esteemed friends in the House to make a consolidated effort by putting their heads together to see that the problem which we have been confronted with is eased out.

SHRI ARJUN SETHI (BHADRAK): Mr. Speaker, Sir, during the discussion on the cyclone and floods of rare severity that affected almost 60 per cent of the people of the State of Orissa, all the hon. Members have depicted the picture or vividly described the damages, devastations as well as human loss caused during this period of crisis. I would like to be very precisely point out the problems being confronted by the people in my constituency. It is no doubt that the severity of the cyclone has been very much felt in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack and Bhubaneshwar, and in my part, that is, Bhadrak and Balasore Districts, the severity of the cyclone is not so much.

">But the effect of flood was unprecedented in my area. This flood has caused widespread damages. This has been caused due to the mismanagement in the discharge of water from the reservoirs of the medium irrigation projects which are situated in my constituency. When there was incessant rainfall, the authorities of the medium irrigation projects could have foreseen the impact of this rainfall but at that point of time, they did not discharge the water from the reservoirs. Suddenly when the water level of the reservoirs increased alarmingly, the authorities discharged all the water and as a result of that all the low lying areas of Bhadrak district and some parts of Balasore were affected. The people of this area had never experienced flood of this type and so they were not prepared for this onslaught. As a result of this, the dwelling units, the thatched houses, the educational institutions, the canals, the L.I. points and the canals, that had been built over the years, have been destroyed. There is not a semblance of infrastructure left in my constituency and in the district of Balasore and Bhadrak.

">Sir, my hon. friends here have expressed gratitude towards other sister States who have helped in the hour of crisis. The hon. Prime Minister also had visited the State and extended help for the reconstruction and rebuilding of the infrastructure. But I would like to draw the attention of the hon. Members of this House as well as of the Central Government and the friends of the Opposition to the fact that funds are available, funds would be coming and funds have already come but the question is, whether the machinery at the State level is prepared to execute the projects or not. Are they prepared to utilize those funds on time? That is the question.

">Sir, the machinery of the State Government is hopelessly divided. I am sorry to say that the whole bureaucracy of the State is divided. Corruption has entered into the very polity of this system. Unless this is dealt with, unless there is a coordination between the different Departments, between the bureaucracy, whatever money is given, whatever funds are released by the Central Government, nothing can be done on time.

">Sir, the very basis of our economy has been destroyed. Our economy is an agricultural economy. We depend on agriculture for our sustenance and our development. As I said earlier, our canals and the L.I. points and whole canal system have been destroyed. The total network of roads in the villages have been destroyed. One has to see the conditions of the educational institutions. One cannot believe the extent of damage that has been caused to the educational institutions. The Chairman of the Task Force, our hon. Defence Minister, had visited the spot thrice. But I do not know whether he has first-hand knowledge of damages at the grass-root or not. The State Government might have depicted a different picture but unless one sees those damages on the spot, one cannot realise the gravity of the situation.

">Sir, so I would like to request the hon. Minister as well as the hon. Prime Minister, who is present here, to treat this problem on an emergent basis and very seriously and unless this is done whatever money is given to the State Government that cannot be utilised on time and rural infrastructure cannot be strengthened and rebuilt.

">Sir, how can the people who do not have a house of their own manage to survive in this winter. It is a big problem. It is good that they are being provided with community kitchens. But they can live on these kitchens only for a short time. Unless they have a better alternative for their livelihood, they cannot survive in the long run. They can sustain themselves temporarily with the help of aid but they cannot live on their own for all time to come.

">I, therefore, request the Government to immediately declare this natural calamity as a national calamity so that the Ministry at the Centre can monitor the whole thing, utilise the money properly, build the infrastructure there and save the lives of the affected people. Hence, raising the rabi crop is only afternative.

">MR. SPEAKER: The Minister to reply now.

">... (Interruptions)

">MR. SPEAKER: Please understand. Reply by the Minister is more important than the discussion.

"> प्रधान मंत्री (श्री अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी) : अध्यक्ष जी, इससे पहले कि मेरे सहयोगी कृषि मंत्री सारी चर्चा का उत्तर दें, इस चर्चा में जो दो मुद्दे उठाए गए हैं, उनके बारे में मैं कुछ कहना चाहता हूं।"> ">एक मुद्दा है नेशनल कैलैमिटी के बारे में। ३० तारीख को जब हम चक़वात की पहली मार से उबरने की कोशिश कर रहे थे, मैंने सार्वजनिक रूप से इस बात की घोषणा की थी, मैं उसको उद्धृत करना चाहता हूं --"> ">"The Central Government had already released its full share of Orissa"s Calamity Relief Fund for the cyclone of October 17-18. In response to the Government of Orissa"s request for additional funds and treating as a national calamity..." ">यह ध्यान देने वाली बात है। उसी वकतव्य में मैंने कहा था कि हम इसे नेशनल कैलैमिटी के रूप में ट्रीट कर रहे हैं। मैं नहीं जानता कि यह नेशनल कैलेमिटी है, तो भी हमें उसको ट्रीट तो करना पड़ेगा। कौन ऐलान करेगा मैं नहीं जानता। मैं ऐलान कर सकता हूं तो मैं ३० तारीख से कह रहा हूं कि यह राष्ट्रीय आपदा है और हम राष्ट्रीय आपदा के रूप में इसके साथ व्यवहार कर रहे हैं। जो नेशनल कैलेमिटी रिलीफ फंड के लिए धन दिया जाता है और जिस फाइनेन्स कमीशन की रिपोर्ट का हवाला बार-बार दिया गया है, वह भी यह नहीं कहती कि कोई फॉर्मल डिकलेयरेशन होना चाहिए। वह कहती है कि ऐसा व्यवहार किया जाना चाहिए और इस फंड से रुपया दिया जाना चाहिए। मुश्िकल यह है कि उस फंड में रुपया बहुत कम है। सौ करोड़ रुपये की तत्काल घोषणा कर दी गई। बाद में और मदों से धन दिया गया। कांग्रेस पार्टी का एक प्रतनधिमंडल मिला था श्रीमती सोनिया गांधी के नेत्ृात्व में। उससे हम लोगों ने साफ कहा था कि इस मामले में उड़ीसा के लिए धन की कोई कमी नहीं होने दी जाएगी। अब धन का रूप कया है, उसका रंग कया है, इस बहस में पड़ने का कोई अर्थ नहीं है। उड़ीसा के मुख्य मंत्री से भी यह बात साफ तौर से कह दी गई और मैं इस बात को फिर यहां दोहराना चाहता हूं कि धन की कमी के कारण वहां किसी तरह आपत्ित का सामना करने में कोई कसर नहीं रखी जाएगा, कोई कमी नहीं होने दी जाएगी। उसके बाद जो धन दिया गया है, मैं उसकी चर्चा नहीं करना चाहता कयोंकि कई मदों में धन दिया गया है, दिया जा रहा है और दिया जाता रहेगा। उड़ीसा हमारी राष्ट्रीय ज़िम्मेदारी है, हम उसका पालन करेंगे। इसमे सबका सहयोग ले रहे हैं और लेंगे। इसमें राजनीति नहीं आनी चाहिए लेकिन राजनीति का आरंभ हमने नहीं किया। यह नेशनल कैलेमिटी वाला मुद्दा ही एक राजनैतिक मुद्दा बन गया है।"> ">श्री जे.एस.बरार (फरीदकोट) : आपने हमारी विनती कुबूल कर ली, हम धन्यवाद करते हैं।"> ">We are grateful that the Prime Minister had already declared it a national calamity. ">श्री अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी: इसके बाद में जो ऐलान किये गये, उन सबमें भी यह दोहराया गया कि यह नेशनल कैलामिटी है, उसी रूप में हम इसका सामना कर रहे हैं। कांग्रेस पार्टी से भी कहा गया कि आप सुझाव दीजिए कि और कया-कया वहां होना चाहिए, अगर कोई कमी है, कोई खामी है उसे हम पूरा करने के लिए तैयार हैं। यह राष्ट्रीय आपदा है, इसका राष्ट्र मिलकर सामना करे, यह जरूरी है। इसके लिए किसी ऐलान की आवश्यकता नहीं है। कारगिल में युद्ध छिड़ गया, कया हमने युद्ध का बाकायदा ऐलान किया था, नहीं किया... (व्यवधान)

जब युद्ध हो रहा है, लोग देख रहे हैं। उड़ीसा में प्रकृति की तांडव लीला का लोगों ने अपनी आंखों से दर्शन किया। टेलीविजन आजकल सारे समाचार, सारी विपदा, सारी आपत्ित घर-घर में लेकर जाता है और इसीलिए प्रदेशों की सरकारों ने, अब मैं अलग-अलग नाम नहीं गिनाता, यह सही है कि आंध्र प्रदेश पहला राज्य था जिसने सहायता दी और पंजाब भी पीछे नहीं है। दूसरे प्रदेशों ने भी सहायता दी है। उड़ीसा की आपत्ित में लोगों को मदद पहुंचाने के लिए सारा देश कोशिश कर रहा है। अंतर्राष्ट्रीय संस्थाओं से भी सहयोग लिया गया है, सम्पर्क स्थापित किया गया है। उनसे भी धन हमें प्राप्त हो रहा है। लेकिन उड़ीसा में धन की कमी नहीं हैं। जो धन उपलब्ध किया गया है, जो सामग्री वहां पहुंच गई है, उसका ठीक तरह से उपयोग किया जाए, इस तंत्र को जरा मजबूत करने की आवश्यकता है। केन्द्र ने जहां आवश्यकता हुई वहां सेना को बुला लिया, जहां आवश्यकता हुई वहां वायुसेना को बुला लिया, जहां आवश्यकता हुई वहां नेवी का उपयोग किया, यदि और भी आवश्यकता होगी तो हम उसे पूरा करेंगे। उड़ीसा के साथ हमारी पूरी सहानुभूति है।"> ">अरे! हमारी दीदी चली गईं, मां की पीड़ा को मैं समझ सकता हूं और सचमुच में उड़ीसा में एक ऐसी त्रासदी हुई हैं कि जिसकी कल्पना नहीं की जा सकती। लाशें निकल रही हैं, लाशें अभी तक पड़ी हुई हैं, लाशों का अंतिम संस्कार करने के लिए फोर्स लगाई गई हैं। लेकिन उस फोर्स के लोग भी लाशों को ढोते-ढोते तंग हो जाते हैं, वहां से भागना चाहते हैं, यह स्िथति है। लेकिन लोग डटे हुए हैं और इसलिए इस सदन से यह आवाज आनी चाहिए। मैं सदस्यों के भाषणों का स्वागत करता हूं। यह राजनीतिक मुद्दा नहीं है, न इसे राजनीतिक मुद्दा बनाया जायेगा। आपत्ित में से अगर हम कुछ लाभ निकालना चाहते हैं तो फिर उड़ीसा के पुनर्िनर्माण का यही अवसर है और हम इस अवसर का उपयोग, इस चुनौती का उपयोग उड़ीसा के पुनर्िनर्माण के लिए करेंगे, यह हमारा संकल्प होना चाहिए और इसके लिए सब लोग मिलकर काम करें, मैं समझता हूं इसकी आवश्यकता है।"> ">मुझे किसी ने एक शब्द सुझाया था - ठउड़ीसारो पुनर्जीवन", उड़ीसा के पुनर्जीवन के लिए हम प्रयास करें और उड़ीसा फिर से अपने पैरों पर खड़ा हो जाए। चुनाव तो आते रहेंगे, जाते रहेंगे। चुनाव जब समय पर आयेगा तो उसकी चिंता की जायेगी, आज हम उस चककर में नहीं पड़ना चाहिए और यह बात सब पक्षों पर लागू होती है। थोड़ी सावधानी बरतने की जरूरत है। विपत्ित में पड़े हुए लोगों की मदद करने के लिए सारे देश की तैयारी है। उस मदद का हम लाभ उठा सकें और उड़ीसा के संकट को हल कर सकें, इस बात की आवश्यकता है।"> ">MR. SPEAKER: Now, the hon. Minister.

">... (Interruptions)

SHRI N. JANARDHANA REDDY (NARASARAOPET): Sir, I want to make one small request to the hon. Prime Minister. It is always being requested by the State which suffers the natural calamity to declare that calamity as a national calamity of rare severity. But there is no laid down action plan to follow the national calamity. If the hon. Prime Minister or the Government of India declares, at least, now, after seeing the Orissa"s plight, let us have a plan of action to follow as to what type of assistance, relief and rehabilitation should be given and what would be the participation from the Government of India and the State Government.

">A study should be made into this aspect. You have appointed a Task Force. Perhaps, you have entrusted this to the Task Force.

">Then, there is no early cyclone warning system. Normally, it is not there. I mentioned this to the hon. Prime Minister also. There is a National Institute of Disaster Management but it is not working as a machinery. It is only a kind of an academic institute, which is conducting seminars etc. An early warning system should be set up. The Ministry of Agriculture is the authority to do it but it is not coordinating this for the last four years. If it had been there, a warning could have been given at least one week earlier. This is about rescue, relief, rehabilitation and disaster management. When you declare it as a national calamity ... (Interruptions)

">SHRI ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE: I have declared it. What more declaration do you want?

">SHRI N. JANARDHANA REDDY (NARASARAOPET): You have declared it as a national calamity of rare severity but nobody knows what action is being taken. Shri George Fernandes is involved. He is there as the hon. Minister of Defence and the Chairman of the Task Force. But there is no permanent system. The hon. Prime Minister has to establish a permanent system. श्री अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी: यह बात ठीक है।

SHRI RAJESH PILOT (DAUSA): Sir, all of us appreciate the feelings and the whole House was on one voice today on declaring it a national calamity and the hon. Prime Minister has very rightly said it.

">Mr. Speaker, Sir, to show our concern as the Parliament of the nation, I have a suggestion to you. All of us have some quota. I think, all of us can donate Rs.10 lakh from our quota to the Orissa Relief Fund. Thus, we will have nearly Rs.100 crore and it will help them further. I think, the House will agree that to show our sympathies to the Orissa people, we can have Rs.10 lakh from each Member of Parliament, from our quota on a discretionary basis. I think, if each of us can donate Rs.10 lakh to the Orissa Relief Fund, that will be a very kind gesture of this Parliament. This will be very good for the State of Orissa. It will help the State. ">श्री अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी: स्पीकर साहब ने महीने भर का वेतन देने का पहले ही ऐलान कर दिया है। आपने १० लाख रुपए सांसद स्थानीय क्षेत्र विकास योजना में से प्रत्येक सांसद द्वारा दिए जाने का सुझाव दिया है। उसे मान लेने में कोई ऐतराज नहीं है और मुझे भरोसा है कि उसमें कोई नियम बाधक नहीं बनेगा।"> ">SHRI RAJESH PILOT : The hon. Speaker can give a ruling. He has the power. As a special case, he can do this and this will be the right gesture for Orissa. ... (Interruptions)

">SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSI (RAIGANJ): Mr. Prime Minister, Sir, before the end of the Session, will you come out with a total action plan for the revival or rebirth of Orissa or the Orissa package so that the entire nation will be taken into confidence. Will you kindly come forward with your package for Orissa?

">MR. SPEAKER: Is there anything more from the Minister concerned? Is it sufficient? Or, do you want to add something more?

">... (Interruptions)

">MR. SPEAKER: Do you want to add anything?

"> कृषि मंत्री (श्री नीतीश कुमार): अध्यक्ष महोदय, जो चर्चा हुई है उसमें मोटे तौर पर तो लोगों ने वहां की व्यथा-कथा ही सुनाई है, उसके बाद कुछ बातों का उल्लेख किया है और सबसे ज्यादा चर्चा हुई है विपक्ष की तरफ से कि इसको राष्ट्रीय आपदा घोषित किया जाए। उसके बारे में प्रधान मंत्री महोदय ने बहुत सफाई के साथ बात रखी है। जिस १०वें फायनेंस कमीशन की रिपोर्ट का उद्धरण दिया जा रहा था, उसको अगर ढंग से पढ़ा जाए, तो उसमें कोई नैशनल कैलेमिटी घोषित करने की बात नहीं है।"> ">श्री जे.एस.बराड़ : नीतीश जी, अब उसको उलझाएं नहीं। प्राइम मनिस्टर साहब ने उसे कलीयर कर दिया है।"> ">श्री राजेश पायलट : मंत्री जी, प्रधान मंत्री जी ने उसके बारे में कलैरिटी कर दी है।"> ">श्री नीतीश कुमार: उन्होंने बिलकुल कलीयर कर दिया है। मुख्य रूप से यही चर्चा का विषय है। १०वें फायनेंस कमीशन की रिपोर्ट के पैराग्राफ ९.१७ और ९.१८ को पढ़ने के बाद जो कुछ भी संभव था, उससे ज्यादा केन्द्र सरकार की ओर से किया गया है। प्रधान मंत्री जी ने स्वयं कहा, पहले ही दिन से कहा कि हम उड़ीसा के चक़वात को राष्ट्रीय आपदा के रूप में मान रहे हैं और भारत सरकार की ओर से उड़ीसा को राहत देने के लिए एक नहीं अनेक कदम उठाए गए हैं। तत्काल रिलीफ के आधार पर जो संभव था वह किया गया है और स्थाई समाधान सुझाने के लिए, उड़ीसा का पुनर्िनर्माण किया जा सके, उसके लिए प्रधान मंत्री जी ने, रक्षा मंत्री जी की अध्यक्षता में एक टास्क फोर्स बनाया है। उस टास्क फोर्स ने यह निर्णय लिया है कि उड़ीसा साइकलोन रीकंस्ट्रकशन अथॉरिटी बनाई जाए।"> ">उसके माध्यम से उड़ीसा के पुनर्िनर्माण का कार्य किया जाये। चारों तरफ से जितने रिसोर्सेस आयेंगे, उनको इकट्ठा करके उसके माध्यम से किया जाये, यह भी टॉस्क फोर्स का निर्णय है। टॉस्क फोर्स अपनी पूरी रिपोर्ट देगी। परमानेंट तौर पर कया कुछ किया जायेगा, इसके बारे में टॉस्क फोर्स अपने सुझाव देगी। अगर आप इजाजत दें तो टॉस्क फोर्स के जो टर्मस ऑफ रेफरैंस हैं, उनको मैं यहां उद्धृत करना मुनासिब समझूंगा।"> ">The Task Force will have the following specific Terms of Reference:

">- To prepare a comprehensive action plan for rehabilitation and reconstruction in the cyclone affected areas of Orissa which would include both short-term and long-term measures.

">- To make recommendations regarding the mode of implementation of the plan including its funding, participation of Government as well as non-Governmental organisation, etc. ">- To make recommendations regarding the steps that need to be taken in other areas of the country which are prone to such calamities.

">The relief operations being undertaken by various Ministries will also be coordinated through the task force. ">ये पांच इसके रेफरैंस के स्पेसीफिक टर्मस हैं। इसके बाद जितनी भी चर्चा की गई, वे इसके अंदर आती है चाहे स्थायी समाधान हो, शार्ट टर्म हो, मीडियम टर्म हो चाहे रिलीफ आपरेशन हो, सबको टॉस्क फोर्स के माध्यम से कोआर्िडनेट किया जा रहा है। सारे कदम उठाये जा रहे हैं। अगर आप चाहें तो अब तक जो कदम उठाये जा चुके हैं, जो इमीजिएट रिस्पांस है, उसका भी हम उल्लेख कर सकते हैं। टॉस्क फोर्स के गठन होने के बाद जो चार मीटिंग्स हुई हैं, उन मीटिंग्स में जो निर्णय लिया गया है, उसके बारे में अलग-अलग डिपार्टमैंटस को जवाबदेही सौंपी गयी है॥ किसी चीज के बारे में प्लानिंग कमीशन को सोचना है, किसी के बारे में एग्रीकल्चर मनिस्ट्री को सोचना है और कुछ चीजों के बारे में दूसरी मनिस्ट्रीज को सोचना है। यह सारा कार्य किया जा रहा है और तेजी से किया जा रहा है। इसमें किसी भी प्रकार की शिकायत की गुंजाइश नहीं है। सरकार की तरफ से कोई कोर-कसर नहीं छोड़ी गयी है और किसी भी प्रकार की आलोचना राज्य सरकार की यहां से नहीं की गई। जिस तरह का वहां साइकलोन आया है और इस समय वहां जो स्िथति होगी, उसके हिसाब से वहां एक शॉक की स्िथति, ट्रॉमा की स्िथति होना स्वाभाविक है। उसके बाद धीरे-धीरे जो परस्िथति नर्िमत हुई है, उसके हिसाब से वहां भी काम चल रहा है और यहां से जो मदद संभव है, वह हर संभव दी जा रही है। किसी भी माननीय सदस्य ने कोई ऐसी बात नहीं कही है, जो अब तक नहीं की गई। अब यहां जिस तरह के साइकलोन आते हैं चाहे साइकलोन हो या इसी प्रकार की परस्िथति उत्पन्न हुई हो, एग्रीकल्चर मनिस्ट्री में जो कंट्रोल रूम बना हुआ है, उसके थ्रू सारी चीजों पर नजर रखी गई और उनको पहले से एडवांस में ही वार्िनंग दी गई। २५ तारीख से यह सिलसिला शुरू हुआ, यह बताने की जरूरत नहीं है कयोंकि पूरा सदन इससे अवगत है कि किस तरह से अंडमान के इलाके में दबाव बन रहा था और किस ढंग से वह आगे बढ़ रहा था। उसके बारे में जो कुछ भी जानकारी मिल रही थी, खासकर इंटरनेट के जरिये जो सैटेलाइट इमेज मिल रहे थे, उसके हिसाब से वार्िनंग दी गई। मैटीरियोलॉजीकल डिपार्टमैंटस से जो सूचनायें दी जा रही थीं, उनके द्वारा सचेत किया जा रहा था। ऐसे मौके पर एक कठिनाई यह देखी जा रही है कि इवैकयूएशन में समस्या आ रही है। इवैकयूएशन के लिए कहा जाता है लेकिन बहुत सारे लोग जल्दी तैयार नहीं होते। किसी को फोर्स भी नहीं किया जा सकता। चारों तरफ कुछ ऐसी त्रुटियां हैं, कुछ कमियां हैं, जिन पर गौर करने की जरूरत है। अगर लोगों को इवैकयूएट करना है तो किस तरह से कराया जाये? सिर्फ वार्िनंग देना स्टेट गवर्नमैंट का काम है, जो वहां दी जा रही है। अब इनको इवैकयूएट करने के लिए पूरे साधन का इंतजाम होना चाहिए। ये कई ऐसे बिन्दू हैं जिनसे ऐसा लगता है कि पूरे सिस्टम में कुछ कमी है और इस तरह के मैकेनिज्म पर, टॉस्क फोर्स इन सभी बिन्दुओं पर विचार करेगी। ऐसी स्िथति में परमानेंट लैवल पर कया किया जा सकता है, कोई स्ट्रकटर बनाया जा सकता है, जिसके बारे में मांग हुई है। इसके बारे में पहले से कार्रवाई हो रही है। टॉस्क फोर्स ने यह फैसला किया कि हर व्यकित के पास एक कमरा ऐसा कंकरीट होना चाहिए जो कम से कम ऐसे अवसर पर प्रभावित न हो। इस प्रकार से कदम उठाये जा रहे हैं। गवर्नमैंट एजैंसीज और आउट साइड एजैंसीज भी ये सारे कदम उठा रही है। अब एक सिलसिला चला, चारों तरफ से लोग मदद लेकर पहुंचे। उन दिनों मेरे जिम्मे सरफेस ट्रांसपोर्ट था। मैं पाराद्वीप पोर्ट गया था। मैंने देखा कि ट्रक के ट्रक लदे हुए हैं। कोई पंजाब सरकार का है तो कोई हरियाणा सरकार का है। वे सब अनाज से लदे हुए थे। उनको रखने के लिए जगह नहीं थी। रिलीफ मैटीरियल की कमी नहीं है। सवाल यह था कि उसको प्रापर्ली लोगों तक किस तरह से पहुंचाया जाये। अन्ततोगत्वा यह काम राज्य सरकार को ही करना होगा या दूसरी एजेंसीज जो वहां जाती हैं, वह इसमें मदद कर सकती है। सारे लोग चारों तरफ लगे हुए थे।"> ">अब एक सिलसिला ऐडॉप्शन का चला। मैं इसके बारे में जरूर कहना चाहता हूं। आपने कई राज्यों का जिक़ किया, कई राज्य सरकारों की मदद मिली। अखबारों में ऐलान हुआ कि कोई राज्य सरकार एक जिले को ऐडॉप्ट करेगी, यहां मदद करेगी। जब उस समय हमारी नजर में बात आई तो सर्फेस ट्रांसपोर्ट मनिस्ट्री की तरफ से एक प्रोजैकट बनाया गया। पारादीप पोर्ट की अगल-बगल में जो ब्लॉक है, यह हुआ कि उसके हर गांव के जितने ऐप्रोच रोडस हैं, उन्हें दुरुस्त किया जाए, स्ट्रैंथन किया जाए। हर गांव में एक इंस्टीटयूशनल बल्िडंग बनाई जाए और उसके साथ सोर्स ऑफ वाटर होना चाहिए, टयूबवैल डाला जाए। उसे इस स्टैन्डर्ड का बनाया जाए कि वह साईकलोन शैल्टर का भी काम कर सके। ऐसा पहली बार हुआ कि कंक़ीट टर्म में कोई बाहरी एजैंसी काम कर रही थी। केन्द्र सरकार की तरफ से मदद मिल रही है, राज्य सरकार अपनी नीतियां बना रही है, अपने प्रोग्राम्स बना रही है। बाहर की एजैंसियों को भी कंक़ीट टर्म में यह सोचना चाहिए कि यदि हम कुछ करना चाहते हैं तो स्पैसीफिकली करें। उसके बाद टॉस्क फोर्स ने यह कदम उठाया और अपने सारे पी.एस.यूज. को कहा कि आप एक-एक ब्लॉक में जाएं और एक स्पैसीफिक काम हाथ में लें। किस तरह लोगों तक भोजन पहुंच जाए, जाड़े का मौसम आ रहा है, कम्बल पहुंच जाएं, सबकी छत के लिए पौलीथीन शीट उपलब्ध करा दी जाएं, यह इमीडिएट रिकवायरमैंट है। लेकिन इसके बाद उनके रैस्टोरेशन की जरूरत है। जो सड़कें हैं, उनको रैस्टोर किया जाए। कोई जवाबदेही ले कि हम इतने गांवों की सड़क को रैस्टोर करेंगे। सिर्फ कहने से काम नहीं चलेगा कि हमने ऐडॉप्ट कर लिया। किस प्रकार से ऐडॉप्ट किया, ऐडॉप्ट करने का अर्थ कया होता है, ऐडॉप्ट करके वे वहां कया करेंगे - सड़क दुरुस्त करें या लोगों का घर ठीक कर दें या कोई स्कूल बल्िडंग ठीक कर दें, कोई कम्युनिटी बल्िडंग ठीक कर दें, वहां कोई साईकलोन शैल्टर बना दें, कोई स्पैसीफिक प्रपोजल होना चाहिए। इस बात की जरूरत है कि इस तरह का स्पैसीफिक प्रपोजल हो। इस तरह का स्पैसीफिक प्रपोजल मेजर ट्रस्ट के कंट्रीब्यूशन द्वारा आया, उन लोगों ने प्रोजैकट लिया। हम इस बात का उल्लेख इसलिए कर रहे हैं कि अब टॉस्क फोर्स इन तमाम चीजों पर देख रहा है। जो सारे रिसोर्सेस आ रहे हैं, उनको एक साथ करके राज्य सरकार को सलाह भी देगा। उड़ीसा साईकलोन रीकंस्ट्रकशन अथॉरिटी बन सकती है, यह विचार चल रहा है। उसके माध्यम से ये सारे काम राज्य सरकार की मदद से कराए जा सकते हैं। ऐसी परस्िथति में सबके सहयोग की जरूरत है।"> ">कुछ माननीय सदस्य यह शिकायत भी कर रहे थे कि कोई मैडीकल टीम गई, उसे वहां पर्याप्त सहयोग नहीं मिला। एक खास कापर्ोरेशन का जिक़ कर रहे थे। हम इन बातों का उल्लेख नहीं करना चाहते। कोआर्डीनेशन की भी कमी हो सकती है और अलग-अलग आदमी का अलग-अलग रिस्पौस होता है। लोग अपने-अपने ढंग से सोचते हैं। वह सोच खत्म करके एक कोआर्डीनेटेड ऐफर्ट होना चाहिए और एक ढंग की सोच होनी चाहिए। इस प्रकार के कदम उठाए जाने चाहिए।"> ">इस सदन में चर्चा हुई है और दो-तीन बिन्दुओं पर बात आई जिसका सीधा संबंध सरकार से है। एक बात आई कि साईकलोन के चलते मिट्टी की सैलेनिटी बढ़ गई है। मैक़ो लैवल पर जो टैस्ट कंडकट किए गए हैं, उसके हिसाब से सैलेनिटी का लैवल इतना ज्यादा नहीं है कि अगली क़ॉप नहीं ली जा सके। लेकिन फिर भी माईक़ो लैवल पर ऐनालेसिस करने के लिए आई.सी.ए.आर. को कहा गया है। वे उसके बारे में भी जांच-पड़ताल करेंगे। अभी की परस्िथति में खासकर कुछ पॉकेटस में यह समस्या हो सकती है लेकिन बाई एंड लार्ज यह समस्या उतनी ज्यादा गंभीर नहीं है, सैलेनिटी लैवल जो होना चाहिए, जो हमारी मिट्टी बरदाश्त कर सकती है, उसके अंदर ही है। इसलिए वहां अगली रबी क़ॉप ली जा सकती है। जहां तक सीडस का सवाल है, चाहे जिस चीज के सीडस की जरूरत होगी, उसे उपलब्ध कराने के लिए केन्द्र सरकार की तरफ से पूरी पहल की गई है और वे उपलब्ध भी कराए जा रहे हैं। कैटल फीड का सवाल है, राज्य सरकार से जो भी रिकवैस्ट आ रही है, उनको आईडैंटीफाई करके सोर्स बताया जा रहा है। उन्होंने कोई कैटल फीड नहीं मांगा, यह कहा कि हमें बताइए कि कहां है। वह आईडैंटीफाई करके बताया जा रहा है। राज्य सरकार अपनी तरफ से उसे प्रोकयोर करने की कोशिश कर रही है। जितनी असिस्टैंस दी जा रही है, सारी असिस्टैंस का इस्तेमाल वे वहां करेंगे। सारे रिलीफ मैटीरियल को रेलवे और एयरलाइन्स की तरफ से मुफत ढोया गया। इस प्रकार से एक नहीं, कई प्रकार की मदद की गई। यदि आप कुल मिलाकर मदद देखें, अभी केन्द्र सरकार की तरफ से जो कुछ किया गया है, उसकी चर्चा की गई। यह नैशनल कैलेमिटी नहीं है तो और कया है जिसके बारे में इतना ऐफर्ट किया गया। नाईन्थ फाईनैंस कमीशन की रिपोर्ट के आधार पर कैलेमिटी रिलीफ फंड पहले से बना हुआ है। टैन्थ फाईनैंस कमीशन की रिपोर्ट के आधार पर नैशनल फंड बना, उसका कौरपस बनाया गया।"> ">शुरू में २०० करोड़ रुपये तय हुआ कि हर साल एक-एक सौ करोड़ रुपया इसमें दिया जायेगा। इसमें २५ परसेंट हिस्सा स्टेट का है और ७५ परसेंट सैण्टर का है। इस तरह ७०० करोड़ रुपये का कोरपस बनाने की बात थी, लेकिन ढाई साल में ही वह पैसा खत्म हो गया। उससे भी बहुत ज्यादा पैसा पहले ही दिया जा चुका है।"> ">एक नेशनल फंड फॉर केलेमिटी रिलीफ है, उसका पैसा कैसे खर्च किया जाये, इसके बारे में एग्रीकल्चर मनिस्टर की अध्यक्षता में एन.डी.सी. की एक कमेटी बनी है, जिसमें प्लानिंग कमीशन के डिप्टी चेयरमैन हैं, फाइनेंस मनिस्टर हैं और प्रधान मंत्री जी हर साल के लिए पांच मुख्यमंत्रियों को उसमें मनोनीत करते हैं। वे बैठकर फैसला करते हैं कि नेशनल फंड फॉर केलेमिटी रिलीफ का पैसा कहां-कहां किस राज्य को जायेगा। जब कोई राज्य सरकार पैसा चाहती है तो उसका सारा प्रोसीजर बना हुआ है। जो भी राज्य सरकार पैसा चाहती है तो उसे मैमोरेण्डम सबमिट करना पड़ता है। जब वह मैमोरेण्डम सबमिट करती है तो उसके बाद सैण्टर की असैसमेंट टीम वहां जाती है। वह जब वहां से रिपोर्ट लेकर आती है तो इंटर-मनिस्टि्रयल ग्रुप बैठता है, वह उनकी बात को सुनता है। इसके बाद नेशनल केलेमिटी रिलीफ कमेटी को वह सुझाव देता है और जब वह सुझाव देता है तो उसके बाद कमेटी के सामने इसको पुट-अप किया जाता है और तब वह अन्ितम तौर पर फैसला लेती है कि कहां किसको कितना पैसा देना है। यह प्रक़िया है।"> ">इसी प्रक़िया से पहले काम चल रहा था। लेकिन उड़ीसा का मामला आया, जिसको एकदम रेयर सीवियरिटी कहते हैं, रेयरैस्ट ऑफ रेयर सीवियरिटी इसे कहा जा सकता है, इस तरह का यह सुपर साइकलोन था। इसलिए इसमें सब चीजों को छोड़कर प्रधान मंत्री जी ने १०० करोड़ रुपया विमुकत करने का निर्णय लिया, १०० करोड़ रुपया दिया। फिर प्रधान मंत्री जी वहां गये तो उन्होंने और १०० करोड़ रुपये का एलान कर दिया और फिर ३०० करोड़ रुपये का एलान किया जा चुका है। वहां के चीफ मनिस्टर फाइनेंस मनिस्टर से आकर मिले, तो उसके अलावा ३०० करोड़ रुपया दिया जा चुका है, इस तरह ५०० करोड़ रुपया हो गया।"> ">इसके अलावा प्लान एडवांस पहली बार, जब १७-१८ तारीख को प्रधान मंत्री जी वहां गये थे तो उन्होंने एडवांस प्लान असिसटेंस का २५० करोड़ रुपये का एलान किया। फिर अभी २०० करोड़ रुपए का किया - इस तरह ४५० करोड़ रुपये का यह एलान हो गया। इसके अलावा डिपार्टमेंट ऑफ रूरल डवलपमेंट ने २७३.६५ करोड़ रुपया रिलीज कर दिया है।"> ">वहां जो घर गिरे हैं, हुडको ने उसके लिए एफर्ट शुरू किया है। हुडको ने लोन असिस्टेंस के रूप में ४८७.५० करोड़ रुपये सैंकशन किये हैं। इसके अलावा पी.एस.यूज़. भी वहां काम कर रहे हैं।"> ">SHRI TRILOCHAN KANUNGO (JAGATSINGHPUR): What is the rate of interest? ">श्री नीतीश कुमार : हुडको का जो पहले से नियम बना हुआ है, वही है। यह कोई नई बात नहीं है, लेकिन इतनी बड़ी मात्रा में वे वहां पैसा दे रहे हैं। उससे एक लाख से भी ज्यादा, शायद एक लाख ३० या ३५ हजार मकान बनेंगे। एग्जैकट फीगर भी मैं आपको बता दूंगा।"> ">श्री प्रियरंजन दासमुंशी : मंत्री महोदय, आप कृपा करके इतना हम लोगों को समझाइये और बताइये, आपके जो कदम हैं, उनकी और सरकार के काम की तो मैं प्रशंसा करता हूं, लेकिन प्लान असिस्टेंस की बात छोड़िये, वह तो रूटीन सपोर्ट हर स्टेट को मिलती है। जिस ढंग की केलेमिटी के बारे में खुद प्रधान मंत्री जी ने चर्चा की और जो फंडस आपके पास अवेलेबल हैं, उससे यह पता लगता है कि क़ाइसिस मैनेज करने के लिए साधन काफी नहीं हैं, उससे बहुत कम हैं। इसलिए आपका, जो नोडल मनिस्ट्री का काम डैमेज असेसमेंट करने का है और सरकार को रिकमेंड करने का है, उसमें कितने साधन की जरूरत है for the revival scheme with the task force, उसके बारे में आपने कोई निर्णय लिया कि नहीं? अगर लिया तो कितने पैसे की जरूरत होगी और उसके लिए आपकी कोई अलग से योजना है कि नहीं, यह सदन को बताइये ताकि सदन इसके बारे में आपसे सहयोग कर सके? श्री नीतीश कुमार : आप बहुत ठीक बात कह रहे हैं, लेकिन जो प्रोसीजर है, जिसकी बात आप कर रहे हैं, वह तो बाद में फॉलो होगा। स्टेट गवर्नमेंट का मैमोरेण्डम आयेगा और पूरे डैमेज का अंतिम तौर पर असेसमेंट करके वे बताएंगे। उसके आधार पर यह बात आयेगी। फिलहाल जो प्रक़िया है, उसको शथिल करते हुए प्रधान मंत्री जी ने यह निर्णय लिया है और केन्द्र सरकार ने ये सारे कदम उठा लिये हैं। यह कोई नहीं कह सकता है कि उड़ीसा में जितना नुकसान हुआ, उसमें जो कुछ भी कर दिया गया, उससे समूचा रीकंस्ट्रकशन हो जायेगा, यह दावा तो कोई नहीं कर रहा। लेकिन जो कुछ भी रिसोर्सेज़ हैं, आज तक जो नहीं किया गया है, वे कदम उड़ीसा के मामले में उठाये जा रहे हैं। जो मैं हुडको का कह रहा था, उससे एक लाख ३५ हजार मकान बनाने के लिए असिस्टेंस मिलेगी। इस प्रकार से हर तरह से कोई भी कदम ऐसा नहीं है, जो उठाया जाना चाहिए और नहीं उठाया जा रहा है। चाहे किसानों को और भी राहत देने के लिए सोफट लोन देने की बात हो या जो लोन हैं, उनको डैफर करने की बात हो। इसी तरह से और कई जगहों पर जो रिकवरी है, उसको रोक देने की बात है तो एक नहीं, कई कदम उठाये गये हैं। इसके अलावा जो इफेकिटड एरिया है, उसमें सारी पोपुलेशन को बिलो पावर्टी लाइन मान लिया गया है, और उनको बिलो-पावर्टी-लाइन मानकर पूरी पोपुलेशन के लिए हर परिवार को २० किलो अनाज हर महीने दिया जाता है। यहां कहा गया कि बिलो-पावर्टी-लाइन मानकर जो एसिस्टैंस है, वह अलग दी जाए, जो आधे दर पर दी जा रही है, उसके बाद दी जाए। सारे लोगों को यह भी एसिस्टैंस दी जाए।... (व्यवधान)

हम इस बहस में नहीं पड़ना चाहते हैं। हम यह बताना चाह रहे हैं कि जिस प्रकार जितने बड़े पैमाने पर एसिस्टैंस दी जा रही है, जो दी जा रही है, जो जरूरत है, जो कुछ भी दी जा रही है, वह वहां जरुरतमंद लोगों तक पहुंचाई जाए।

... (व्यवधान) श्री राजेश पायलट : आपकी एप्रोच सही है। जो दिया जा रहा है, वह कम है। ऐसी हालत में २० किलो अनाज एक परिवार के लिए कम है। आपके हिसाब से ज्यादा है, लेकिन २० किलो अनाज से एक परिवार की मदद नहीं हो रही है। श्री नीतीश कुमार: कम की बात नहीं है, जो स्कीम है, उसके हिसाब से सबको मानकर यह किया गया है। इसके अलावा जो भी एफर्टस जरूरी है, वे एफर्टस किए जा रहे हैं। इस प्रकार केन्द्रीय सरकार की तरफ से जो भी संभव सहायता है, वह दी जा रही है।SHRI TRILOCHAN KANUNGO : Sir, so far as affected areas are concerned, nobody is getting rice at Rs.4 a kilogram and no family is getting 20 kilograms of ration per month. I am telling you a fact. This thing needs to be corrected. Will you do something in this regard? Will you take up the matter with the State Government? श्री नीतीश कुमार: खाद्य मंत्री वहां गए भी थे और जो कुछ भी राज्य सरकार ने मांगा है, वह दे दिया गया है। आप यहां पर जो सवाल उठा रहे हैं, इस सवाल को आप अपने स्तर पर भी ले सकते हैं।SHRI TRILOCHAN KANUNGO : Why do you not do this? श्री नीतीश कुमार: आप इस बात को ला रहे हैं, तो सरकार की तरफ से कहा जाएगा कि जो दिया जा रहा है, उसे वहां तक पहुंचाइए।SHRI TRILOCHAN KANUNGO : Do you want to cover up the deficiency of the State Government? श्री नीतीश कुमार: राज्य सरकार ने इससे ज्यादा नहीं मांगा है। जो मांगा है, वह दिया जा रहा है। आप यहां से बैठकर यह मत कहिए।... (व्यवधान)

खाद्य मंत्री वहां गए थे, उनकी वहां चर्चा हुई और जो मांग की गई, वह दे दिया गया। इसके अलावा भी सहानुभूतिपूर्वक जो भी प्रस्ताव आएगा, सरकार उसको आखिरी चीज न मानते हुए, सहायता देगी। टास्क फोर्स इसको देख रही है। शार्ट टर्म, मीडियम टर्म और लोंग टर्म सहायता उनको दी जानी चाहिए और कया किया जाना चाहिए, इसके बारे में सरकार निर्णय लेगी। इन शब्दों के साथ मैं अपनी बात समाप्त करता हूं। श्री हरीभाऊ शंकर महाले (मालेगांव) : महोदय, सदन में गम्भीर विषय पर चर्चा चल रही है। अंत:करण की भाषा दोनों तरफ से चल रही है, लेकिन माननीय मंत्री महोदय ने कहा कि पंतप्रधान में बहुत सफाई से बात कही है। सफाई शब्द अच्छा नहीं लगता है, इसलिए इसको मिनट-बुक से निकाल देना चाहिए। बात अंत:करण से शुरू हुई है, इसलिए सफाई शब्द अच्छा नहीं लगता है। हम सभी लोग अंत:करण से बोल रहे हैं, यह अंत:करण की भाषा है और गम्भीरता से चर्चा शुरू हुई है। आपने बोला है - पंतप्रधान ने बहुत सफाई से बोला है, यह ठीक नहीं है। अध्यक्ष महोदय : सफाई नहीं, साथ-साथ है।The House stands adjourned to meet tomorrow, the 30th November, 1999 at 1100 hours.

18.50 hrs The Lok Sabha then adjourned till Eleven of the Clock on Tuesday, November 30, 1999/Agrahayana 9, 1920 (Saka) _______