Bhubaneswar, November 7:Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das has demanded a ₹5,000 crore special relief package for flood- and landslide-hit Ganjam district, alleging that the damage caused by Cyclone ‘Arnab’ exceeds ₹5,000 crore.

After visiting affected areas with a Congress fact-finding team, Das termed the state government’s relief measures inadequate and demanded compensation for farmers, traders and affected families. He also sought a minimum compensation of ₹20 lakh for families who lost members in the disaster.

Das met the District Collector at Chhatrapur and discussed the damage caused by the floods, the problems faced by affected families and the arrangements made for relief and rehabilitation.

Das described the state government’s relief and assistance measures as inadequate in view of the scale of destruction. He estimated that losses to houses, commercial establishments, properties and agricultural crops across the district had exceeded ₹5,000 crore

Das claimed that traders in Aska alone suffered losses exceeding ₹1,000 crore, while breaches in the Rushikulya river embankments inundated several areas, destroying crops and property. He also flagged poor facilities at relief camps and demanded immediate assistance, proper rehabilitation and restoration of basic amenities for affected people.