Collector cheers flood-hit families in Ganjam

Brahmapur: Bringing a ray of hope and festive cheer to families still struggling to recover from the devastation of cyclone Arnab and subsequent floods, Ganjam Collector V Keerthi Vasan celebrated Diwali with affected villagers, personally distributing festival gift kits and sharing moments of joy with them.

The kits, containing traditional earthen lamps, wicks, sweets, lungis, sarees and essential supplies, were distributed in several badly affected villages as part of the district administration’s humanitarian outreach. The initiative aimed to ensure that disaster-hit families were not deprived of the warmth and happiness of the festival of lights. The Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society coordinated the packaging of the kits at Chamakhandi.

At Baranga village under Badamadhapur Gram Panchayat, Chhatrapur MLA Krushna Chandra Nayak, Collector Vasan, Zilla Parishad CDO Sameer Kumar Jena, ADM Debadatta Panda, BDO Sambit Sangramjit Sahu and Block Chairperson S Sharada Reddy joined villagers in the celebrations. After offering prayers at the village deity’s temple, they visited households, distributed gift kits and joined children in lighting firecrackers.

Similar celebrations were held at Handighara village in Purushottampur block, led by Sub-Collector Shivashis Baral and Tehsildar Binod Kumar Behera. The Collector also visited flood-affected families at Navaratnapur village in Asika block.

Meanwhile, responding to the Collector’s appeal, the government employees across Ganjam voluntarily contributed a day’s salary towards flood relief and rehabilitation. The contributions will go to the ‘Arnab Sahayata Panthi Ganjam’ fund.

Police personnel also distributed blankets, clothes and study kits among affected families in several localities. At a time when many flood victims are yet to recover from their losses, the Collector’s gesture of celebrating Diwali with them has emerged as a touching example of administrative compassion. The locals observed that the true spirit of the festival lies not merely in lighting lamps and bursting crackers, but in bringing smiles to faces still clouded by grief.

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Sunil Mohan Patnaik

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