Relief material for Hudhud victims sold in open market

VISAKHAPATNAM: Despite relief pouring into Visakhapatnam from different places, it has not been an easy ride for many of the Hudhud victims, thanks to gangs of young men stealing relief material and selling it in the open market.
The gangs operate in most of the slum areas, where relief material is being pumped in large quantities. "Most of the youngsters operate in a synchronised manner.They first jump onto the wagons and later scoot away with the stuff on motorbikes. Most of them are unemployed youth, but definitely not starving," said VK Narayana, a resident of Adarsh Nagar near MVP colony.
Narayana observed that most of the biryani and lemon rice packets are finding their way to booze shops in the city. The water pouches too, meant for the victims, are being sold on the sly.
CK Ramu, a resident of MVP colony, observed that it was not just the poor and the unemployed who were resorting to such activities. "A few days ago, when I went to the Rythu bazaar in MVP colony, many landed up in cars to pick up tomatoes for Rs 3 a kilo. It is one thing for the poor to act in a greedy fashion, but when the upper-middle class lot also behave in such a manner, it is disgusting."
According to K Ramana Murthy, a resident of Tuni who took part in relief operations in Bheemili, his team did not take the risk of distributing food packets and instead cooked food for the residents of Jalaripeta in Bheemili. "Food is not wasted and only people in dire need will come to us. It is also a more orderly way of doing the relief work," he said.
On the alleged inability of police to control crowds, sources pointed out that cops could not do much as it could result in a serious law and order situation. A senior ranking police official disclosed that the department was in no mood to provoke a 'riot.'