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Cholera, gastroenteritis ravage Orissa

Orissa, still reeling from last week's super cyclone, is now threatened with a pandemic. After cholera struck large numbers of displaced denizens of the state's worst-hit coastal districts, it is now the turn of gastroenteritis, according to the authorities.

Sunday's all-party meeting sent out an SOS to the Centre and to international aid agencies to rush relief to the devastated region. The meeting had also asked the Centre to declare the situation in Orissa as a national calamity of the utmost severity.

The meeting asked the Centre to waive interest for loans availed by the state for a five-year period so as to ease things a bit for its ravaged economy.

Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang asked the central government to set up a special fund for the state. He also suggested that the Centre provide a relief fund of Rs 5,000 million immediately and for Rs 250,000 million over a long-term period.

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