Press Statement
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
Relief and rehabilitation work to meet the damage caused by the cyclone in Orissa requires an enormous effort on all fronts. Despite a week having passed since the cyclone hit Orissa, the central government has still not declared that Orissa has been struck by a national calamity. There can be no dispute about the grave tragedy which has affected Orissa. The purpose of declaring it a national calamity is to ensure that sufficient funds in the form of grants are made to Orissa to meet the unprecedented situation. It will not be sufficient to sanction money in the conventional manner by giving loans or advances to the Orissa state government.
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) therefore demands that the central government treat the Orissa situation as a national calamity and take all requisite measures as a follow up to this.