Bhubaneswar, May 21: Deaths due to lightning and heat wave claim the maximum number of lives in the state. But the government cannot come to the aid of the victims’ families because the Centre is yet to recognise such deaths as caused by natural calamities.
Statistics show that nearly 285 persons lose their lives to lightning on an average every year, while 78 persons die of heat stroke in the state.
However, officials here said that the Centre had so far recognised cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloud-burst, pest attack and cold wave as natural calamities. As heat wave and lightning are not listed, the state government cannot provide relief from the State Disaster Response Fund to families of the victims.
If a person dies due to one of the 12 listed natural calamities, the victim’s family is entitled to receive Rs 1.5 lakh as assistance from the fund. But families of those killed due to heat wave and lightning do not get any central assistance.
“This is really unfortunate. However, the state is providing an assistance of Rs 10,000 to the families from the chief minister’s relief fund,” said a senior official of the special relief commissioner.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has written to Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde urging him to consider “heat wave and lightning” as approved calamities so that the victims’ families could be given relief from the central fund.
To provide immediate relief to the people during the summer and monsoon, Naveen today announced a one-time assistance of Rs 100 for the differently-abled, widows, destitute women and old-age pensioners for purchase of umbrellas.
The state government will spend Rs 33 crore for this purpose to assist about 33 lakh beneficiaries.
The money will be distributed on June 15 on the occasion of Jana Seva Divas throughout the state.
Officials said the representation of the states, including Odisha, to add heat wave and lightning to the list of natural disasters had not been favourably considered.
