As was expected world-wide, the year under review marked the beginning of the eventual exit of not only 20th century but the 2nd millennium. While the rest of the mankind celebrated and welcomed this epochal event with the usual festivity, India was passing through a tough moment of crisis, that was occasioned by week- long hijacking of IA Plane by the terrorists, lingering miseries in Orissa hit by the Super Cyclone and acute political instability across the country. It appeared as if India was foreordained to bear the surplus of human misery that was accumulated over the centuries, so that the rest of the world live in peace more or less.

The year 1999 was the most agonising one for the poor and backward people of Orissa, which was struck by an unprecedented natural calamity, now termed as Super Cyclone on 29 October, a Black Friday preceded by another sea-borne cyclone in Ganjam district that had taken place before 15 days. With wind speed of about 300 km per hour and saline waves from sea at 20' high, the catatrophic cyclone spanning nearly 24 hours and covering as many as 14 districts of coastal Orissa killed thousands of people, rendered countless people homeless, razed to the ground massive trees and even concrete structures, destroyed all standing crops and domestic animals, and threw the entire landscape into a hell-like environ sans water, sans light, sans food and sans shelter for days together. Most of those who survived the doomsday had to experience the worst of suffering for months on end before they could get going as normal human beings. While the entire State along with its Capital Bhubaneswar stay paralysed for several days, one silver lining amidst darkness all around was the role of NGOs and charitable organisations who in the immediate aftermath of the disaster came forward to offer the basic minimum for the survival of the distressed lot. The super cyclone did also become the decisive agenda for change in the State Government. However the agenda for post-cyclone rehabilitation and restoration remain yet to show signs of progress.

The year 1999-2000 proved to be a year of trials and tribulations for Project Swarajya too. On quite many occasions spanning the whole year, the Organisation had to re-establish its bona-fides before the various Government agencies of both Centre and State, who conducted series of inspections and enquiries one after another into its different programmes and projects ongoing or already implemented. While the Organisation could successfully emerge neat and clean before the teams of inspecting, evaluating and enquiring officers of the Government, the blessing in disguise was the hard lessons that the Organisation learnt willy-nilly in terms of maintaining internal cohesion along side of presenting a soothing image to the outside. To sum up such lessons in one sentence, " It is not enough that you really work, but you should also appear to work before the very people who matter for you".

Another major problem that the Organisation had to sort out in the early part of the year was the physical shift of its head office along with the Deaddiction Centre from Moti Bhavan Kesharpur where it had worked for long 8 years to a historic and more spacious location at Ganesh Ghat, Bakharabad located on the side of Kathajori river bank .The new location which belongs to the family of Late Rama Devi, Malati Choudhury, Gopabandhu Choudhury and Naba Krushna Choudhury etc, where the first Prime Minister of Orissa had his official residence, where Swarajya Ashram ( Congress Office) was working once upon a time in pre-independence era, and above all which is hallowed with the glorious memories of freedom struggle and its stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Frontier Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sardar Patel and the like has also already proved logistically more advantageous than the previous one.

The Organisation had to restructure/reduce its staffing pattern in the year 1999- 2000 especially in respect of its Deaddiction Centres under the compelling necessity of the Revised Scheme announced by Government of India. The resulting resentment among a section of old staff had its inevitable fall-out which the Organisation had to absorb quietly.

Most painful of all the problems that cropped up in the year under review was the lingering pendency shown by the State Government in recommending the proposal of the Organisation for its two ongoing Deaddiction Centres to Govt of India, and consequent non-release of the major chunk of funds due from the concerned Ministry. In absence of any official communication from the State Govt., the Organisation did on its own come to learn that such pendency arose out of the circumstances created by an anonymous petition advancing several wild allegations against the Organisation and its office bearers. However, the Organisation which is committed to the values of transparency in public life, did welcome the series of enquiries and investigations that were conducted one after another by different agencies of State Government. As was expected, all the investigating teams submitted their respective reports, each saying that the petitioner was an anonymous one and the allegations false and fabricated.

Despite the complex scenario as described above, the Organisation continued to work for the ongoing assignments while countenancing in a stoic spirit the new problems and contingencies as and when these appeared.

The Centre which had started operating since November 1992 in the wake of the notorious Liquor Tragedy at Cuttack, entered into the 8th year of its existence in .1999-2000. It was shifted from Moti Bhavan , Kesharpur to Ganesh Ghat. Bakharabad , Cuttack with effect from 1st August 1999. The new location which is more spacious than the previous one is also logistically convenient and environmentally sound for the patients and public, situated as it is on the main road on the bank of river Kathjori.

Under the Revised Scheme for Drug Treatment-cum-Rehabilitation Centre as announced in mid-March 1999 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, the Organisation had to introduce gradually the desired reforms in the programme components, staffing pattern and budgetary allocations. While every reform went smooth, the drastic reduction of the staff structure from 23 nos. to 11 posed some serious problems, to overcome which the Organisation had to wrestle on different fronts.

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was observed on 26th June 99 by way of a Public Meeting held in the premises of the Centre at Moti Bhavan along with an Exhibition on the subject, both inaugurated by Sri Satyajit Mohanty, IPS superintendent of Police Cuttack. The meeting was addressed among others by Sri G.C.Senapati. former DG Orissa Police and some ex-addicts and their parents.

Following a raid on the brown sugar den at Gopalpur on the outskirts of Cutack City, hundreds of addicts went through a state of trauma. The Assistant Superintendent of Police Mr.Arun Bothra, IPS who had conducted the said raid brought a contingent of the young brown sugar patients to the Centre for treatment. A total of 25 nos. of such patients were admitted and hospitalised for about a month and provided with all facilities including food, snacks, medicine, saline, check-up of ancillary complications, counseling, Yoga and recreation. Except a few who dropped out secretly on account of terrible withdrawal symptoms, the rest were cured of the addiction. This exercise in round-the-clock mass treatment of hard-core, chronic brown sugar addicts enriched the medical and paramedical staff of the Centre with new experience and confidence in treating the seemingly untreatable cases.

The Centre had the privilege of sending its senior personnel to a 'three month intensive course on drug abuse prevention' held at Delhi including the field tour to reputed Deaddiction Centres running in various metros of die country, under the aegis of the National Institute of Social Defence, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. As in the previous years, the Director Project Swarajya imparted lessons as a Guest Speaker on the 'Role of Voluntary Organisations in combating drug addiction in the society' as a part of the Specialised Course on Drug Abuse held for the Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors organized by the State Police Academy, Government of Orissa during June 1999.

In the year under review the normal work of the Centre was discontinued twice, each time for a brief period, first during its transfer to the new location in the month of August, and then in the immediate aftermath of the Super Cyclone in early November. However the executives of the Organisation had immediately jumped into the work of relief and rehabilitation for the affected people in cyclone affected areas as per the desire of the district administration and of the appeal of State Government.

In the year a total of 703 nos. of patients were treated at the Centre, out of whom 345 were old and 358 new. Again, out of the total Brown Sugar addicts numbered as many as 244, Opium 13, Morphine 1, Bhang 15, Ganja 60, Tobacco 1, Two Drugs ( Opium and Ganja) 73, Multiple Drugs (Opium+Ganja+Bhang) 84, Alcohol 150 and others 72. The analysis of the profile of the patients showed that unmarried people were 369 while married 334, the people in the age-group of 24-30 years were highest in number i.e. 259 followed by 239 for 31-45 years, 139 for 16-23 years, 40 for 40-50 years, 17 for 61 and above years, and 9 for 12-17 years. The Sex-wise analysis showed a male predominance i.e. 674 male against 29 female only. The educational status of the addicts showed that the group having education upto Secondary were the biggest one i.e. 190 followed by 158 for the 'upto Middle level' group, 101 for Graduates, 88 for the 'upto Primary', 66 for the illiterates, 53 for 'upto Intermediate' , 27 for the 'upto Higher Secondary', 12 for the Post Graduates, and only 3 for the just Literate Group. Among the treated patients the highest number were unemployed i.e. 236, followed by 196 for businessmen, 138 for Govt. servants, 31 for the agriculturists, 27 for rickshaw pullers, 25 for technical personnel, 21 for the transport workers, 11 for skilled laborers, 8 for wage laborers, 8 for professionals and only 1 for agricultural laborer. The analysis of the scale of income of the addicts showed that out of the total 703, the highest number i.e. 225 came from the group having Rs.1,000 to 3,000/- per month, followed by 111 for the group having no income of their own but having a family income of Rs.l001 to 3,000/- p.m. , 110 for the group having income of onl) Rs.500/- to 1,000/-, 92 for the group having their income level between Rs.3,001/- to 5,000/-, 52 for the unemployeds having family income between Rs.3,000/- to 5,000/-, 32 having only family income between Rs.501 to 1,000/- , 28 having personal income 0 Rs.l00 to 500 , 23 having only family income of Rs.5,00l and above, 20 having personal income of Rs.5,001 and above, and lastly 10 having only a family income of Rs.100 to 50 per month.

The Centre which was et up in August 1998 entered into 2nd year of its existence in 1999-20000. Its Medical Unit continued to operate at Khadianga, near the office of Kendrapara Municipality while the Rehabilitation Unit at Bimala Bhavan, Silipur, Marshaghai. The necessary reform in staffing pattern and other aspects was duly introduced in the Centre in conformity with the Revised Scheme as announced by die Ministry of SJ & E, GOI, which posed little problem for the Centte in view of its recent establishment.

The Centre was running in full swing when the Super Cyclone struck Orissa coast on 29 October '99. As is well known, Kendrapara district was the worst-hit area along with the adjacent Jagatsinghpur district. The places where the Centre was functioning witnessed unprecedented havoc with the people getting panicked for several months following the disaster. Under the circumstances, the personnel of the Centre immediately jumped into the rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities in collaboration with the district administration and other NGOs. The Medical Unit of the Centre at Khadianga was immediately converted into the shelter house for the affected families, whose houses were severely destroyed. So was also the case of the Centre's Rehabilitation Unit at Bimala Bhavan, Silipur, Marshaghai where several affected families of Silipur village took shelter for about two months. The Centre at Khadianga was also used by the District and Municipal administration as the store- house and distribution centre for the emergency relief materials. The staff of the Centre extended cooperation to the rescue and relief teams coming from neighboring Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal to visit and operate in the worst-hit and marooned places in Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur district. The Project Director of the Centre Sri Ashis Senapati escorted the Defence personnel in air-dropping of the relief material in sensitive areas. The Health Camps were conducted in collaboration with different Medical Teams at different places in Erasama and Mahakalpada Blocks to prevent the spread of epidenlics. For nearly three consecutive mondls November, December and January in the post-cyclone period, the Centre remained engaged in such relief and rehabilitation activities for dle affected people in close cooperation with the district administration.

In the year under review a total of 483 nos. of addicts received the treatment at the Centre, out of whom 265 were old and 218 new. Out of such patents 128 were detoxified in Indoor while 56 in OPD. So far the drug-wise figures were concerned, the Alcoholics were highest in number i.e. 217 followed by Ganja 86, Multiple Drugs ( Opiwn+Ganja+Bhang ) 64, Two Drugs ( Opium+Ganja) 49, Opium 46, Bhang 12, Tobacco 8, and Brown Sugar only 1. Peer Group pressure in case of as many as 451 patients out of the total 483 accounted for the single greatest factor for driving the people to addiction. In 28 nos. of cases, the patients relapsed after receiving the treatment, whereas 267 nos. were fully recovered patients. The demographic data of the patients collected at the Centre disclosed the various trends among the drug abusers and alcoholics. Age group-wise, young people of 24-30 years were highest in number among the total 483 i.e. 183, followed by 162 nos. of 31-45 years, 94 of 16-23 ye~ 26 of 45-50 years, 13 of61 and above years, and 5 of 12-17 years. All the patients were male, among whom 272 were married people and 211 unmarried. So far the educational status was concerned, 125 nos. were 'upto Secondary' level, followed by 94 'upto middle level' , 84 'upto intermediate' , 57 upto primary, 48 'upto Higher Secondary' , 31 illiterate, 17 upto secondary, 12 technical personnel, 12 mere literate and 3 Graduates. Occupationally, the Unemployeds were the biggest group i.e. 169 nos. followed by 123 Businessmen, 82 Govt. servants, 47 Agriculturalists, 21 Technical personnel, 16 Transport Workers, 13 Rickshaw pullers, 8 Agricultural Labourers and 4 Skilled Laborers. The Personal and Family Income levels of the patients showed that the single largest group ( 268 nos. ) were having a mond1ly personal income of Rs.l00 1 to 3,000/- , followed by 59 nos of Rs.500/- to 1,000/-, 47 nos belonging to family income of Rs.l,001 to 3,000/-, 38 of family income of Rs.501 to 1000/- , 27 of personal income of Rs.3,001 to 5,000/-, 18 belonging to family income of Rs.3,001 to 5,000/- , 13 nos. having personal income of Rs. 100 to 500/-, 6 belonging to family income of Rs.5,000 and above,5 of the family income of Rs.100 to 500/- and lastly only 2 nos having personal income of Rs.5,001/- and above.

The Resolution on 'Checking the fishing related mass mortality of sea turtles in Orissa coast, India' as moved by Mr.Chitta Behera, Director Project Swarajya and passed in the 19th Sea Turtle Symposium held at South Padre Island, Texas, USA during 28 Feb.-5 March '99, and the minutes of 'Lunch time Workshop on sea turtles in d1e Indian Ocean Region' along with die paper presented on 'Towards averting doomsday for Olive ridley sea turtles in Orissa coast, India' were extensively circulated among the mediamen , scientists, and concerned Govt agencies in die country .

After two years of interruption in mass nesting of Olive ridleys at Gahirmatha accompanied by an unprecedented rate of their mass mortality noticed all along the Orissa coast, the sudden occurrence of mass nesting in Nasi-I, Nasi-2 and several oilier adjacent islands in Gahirmatha region on different dates in March and April 1999 came forth as a pleasant surprise for all turtle lovers of India and world. A monitoring team of the Organisation consisting of Mr. Chitta Behera, Director, Mr .Ashis Senapati, Project Director and some others undertook a field visit to the nesting islands to gather the necessary data on the nesting phenomenon of the season and the problems encountered if any. On the basis of the observations so made, a Web site entitled 'Gahirmatha again abuzz with nesting Olive ridleys' was designed and uplinked by the Organisation at http://sites.netscape.net/swarajya/Gahirmatu99.htm providing all die crucial information for the knowledge of every body interested in the subject across the world.

In the immediate aftermath of the mass nesting as described above, came the tough backlash from die trawling community who were allegedly harassed by die Coast Guard and Forest Dept. personnel by way of seizure and detention of their vehicle, heavy penalty and extortion of bribery, and who in their Memorandum presented to the Chief Minister dated 30 March '99 demanded abolition of all prohibitory provisions against fishing in the name of sea turtle protection. On the orders of the CM, an Expert Committee was constituted to hear their grievances and the counter-points if any from the side of conservationists. Called by the Expert Committee , Mr.Chitta Behera and Ashis Senapati representing Project Swarajya submitted their well-considered views on the subject in the form of a 10 page Statement on 28 September '99, the sum and substance of which was a plea for evolving a participatory model of sustainable management of the turtle sensitive coasts of the State with the active involvement of the local fishermen and trawlers community along with both Fisheries and Forest Departments, and also for an eventual entrustment of the authority for marine turtle conservation of the Fisheries Department

To survey the impact of the Cyclone on the nesting grounds of sea turtles, Sri Chita Behera and Sri Ashis Senapati accompanied by local volunteers visited various beaches along the coast, namely Paradip-Hukitola, Satvaya, Gahirmatha, Konark-Balukhand and Astarang , and noted the deformations made in the form of emergence of new creeks , submergence of fishing villages, narrowing of the nesting sand-strips etc. Simultaneously, the survey was also made on the impact of the natural calamity on the fishing villages and communities along the coast. Again in February 2000 another eye-witness survey was made of the dead turtles washed ashore at various beaches of Orissa coast. It was found that approximately 20,000 nos of dead turtles were seen in the whole coast of Orissa, a figure comparatively lower than that of the previous three years. The reason for this low-scale of mortality might perhaps be the relatively lesser nos. of fishing vessels that remained active in the turtle-sensitive zones of die sea after colossal damage was wrought to most of the trawlers by the Super Cyclone.

On the invitation of the President 20th Sea Turtle Symposium Sri Chitta Behera , Director Project Swarajya attended this august international assembly held at Orlando, Florida, USA during 28 Feb- 4 March 2000 and made a poster presentation on the theme' Olive Ridleys facing ravages of both nature and man in Orissa coast, India' and took part in the deliberations on the Resolutions concerning Orissa coast and Indian Ocean region, passed in the Symposium. While returning from USA via London Sri Behera met and discussed with a few ecology-activist groups working on protection of Asia's endangered species at Hyde Park, Central London on 5th March 2000. Soon after his return the copies of the relevant Resolutions were circulated among the concerned officials of the Central Ministries and State Departments for their perusal and a proactive action wherever necessary .

Despite the Super Cyclone and consequent topographical deformations that took place here and there along the coast of Orissa, the most welcome event of the year was the mass nesting of Olive ridleys in different islands of Gahirmatha to the extent of more than 7,00.000 in March-April 2000, which is an unprecedented magnitude since 1975 when the recording of nesting size had begun .

A new item was added to the Organisation's turtle agenda, that is the study of Fibropapilloma ( turtle tumor) among Olive ridleys in Orissa coast. After establishing necessary rapport with Honolulu Laboratory under NMFS, USA, the Organisation had got the requisite CITES permit for identifying and transporting the affected turtle tissues for the purpose of laboratory examination. Moreover, the Director Fisheries, Government of Orissa in recognition of the need for such a study did officially identify the Organisation and assured to extend all necessary/departmental cooperation for the purpose. However, due to the chaotic conditions that followed the Super Cyclone, this project could not take off the ground during the year.

The project document of the GEF -UNDP sponsored project for Protection of Olive ridleys in the coasts of India came up for finalisation at State level. In recognition of the success story of the Organisation's earlier GEF-SGP funded project' Protection of Olive ridley sea turtles through popularisation of Turtle Excluder Devices off the coast of Orissa' in 1996-97, the Organisation was associated with this process of finalisation. Moreover, the Commissioner-cum-Secretary in the Department of Forests and Environment, Orissa recommended to the Ministry of Environment & Forests, GOI for associating Project Swarajya in the Turtle Conservation Plan in respect of Turtle Excluder Devices, Study of Fibropapilloma, monitoring and extention programmes at field level.

A one-day Workshop on Road Safety Awareness was held in the premises of Project Swarajya at Ganesh Ghat, Cuttack on 13th Feb.2000 in collaboration with the Women and Child Welfare Society, Cuttack for sensitising selected 30 nos of citizens coming from the cross sections of vulnerable people like students, drug addicts, unemployed youths etc. on the dangers of rash driving, wrongful use of head light, non-observance of traffic signals and driving in a drunken state. The resource persons who delivered talks on various aspects of Road Safety included Sri Pravas Acharya, Secretary Yuva Mandai, Sushree Sophia Shaik, Secretary Project Swarajya, Sri Sk. Quraish, Journalist and Sri Bikash Das, Secretmy CLAP ( Committee for Legal Aid to the Poor ).

The Organisation had started a project for Training-cum-Production in hygienic and value-added dry' fish and other fish products for the fisher women at Sandhakud, Paradip with effect from 1st April 1999 with financial assistance from CAPART, Government of India (East Zone), Bhubaneswar and in collaboration with MIS Oriental Dry Fish Industries. The collaborating agency had provided its existing infrastructure including the fish yard at Sandhakud for implementation of the project. After the additional infrastructure necessary for carrying out the project were constructed, the programme had commenced in full swing from 24th October, when the Super Cyclone took place on 29th October '99 causing massive devastation of the entire area including the project site. Since the project site was located in the vicinity of the sea shore, the saline surges that accompanied the high speed wind washed away completely the project building and all its infrastructure and stocks including the registers and documents maintained at the field level. A collective team consisting of the Sri Chitta Behera and Ashis Senapati of Project Swarajya and Sri Randhir Jena of Jana Adhikar Sammukhya visited the project site after 2 days of the disaster, took a detail stock of the damages made to the fish yard and the assets of the project, and reported the same immediately to the Regional Office of CAPART at Bhubaneswar for their knowledge and necessary action. The Deputy Director of Fisheries, Govt. of Orissa who was closely associated with the project from the beginning did also pay a visit to the project site at Sandhakud village and made an assessment of the losses so made by the super cyclone. Since all the infrastructure and assets of the project were washed away, it was felt prudent to close down the project for the time being and leave the decision to revive it afresh to CAPART on the basis of a fresh and new proposal to be submitted.

The Department of Culture, Government of India awarded a Senior Fellowship in the field of Odissi Music for a period of two years with effect from 1st March 2000 to Sri Tithanand Mohanty, a reputed artist and an Associate Member of the Organisation in recognition of his innovative effort to theoretically establish the claim of Odissi School of Music as a separate, original and independent Musical Gharana of India. The application for the Senior Fellowship was sent to the Department of Culture. GOI with recommendation by Project Swarajya. Sri Mohanty soon after the receipt of the Award has started his intensive research in full swing as per the norms laid down for the Fellowship.

The Organisation has been running an RTDT ( Rural Technology Demonstration and Training) Centre since 1992 in collaboration with National Research and Development Corporation ( NRDC ), New Delhi and has been provided with 4 Low-cost Appropriate Technologies, such as Tara Loom, Papad making machine, Leaf cup making machine, and Balaram Mud Block Press Machine for the purpose their dissemination among the people in rural areas. These machines have been installed and demonstrated before the targeted people in various places of the State and in cooperation with selected NGOs working at grass root level.

In addition to the above, the Organisation is equipped with following appropriate technologies, each addressing to specific need of the community in their day-to-day business:

• Turtle Excluder Device
• Fish Aggregating Device
• Hygienic Fish-Drying Racks
• Integrated Paddy-cum-Fish Culture in saline and water-logged areas
• Recovery Ponds for injured and stranded Horseshoe crabs
• Fish Pickling
• Smoked Prawn/Fish

Due to the transfer of the headquarters of the Organisation and subsequent Super Cyclone, the normal work of the Unit was disrupted each time for a considerable period. The video recording of the 19m Sea Turtle Symposium was shown to the members of Governing Body and also to the interested mediamen and scientists who approached for the purpose. The copy of the video record on mass mortality of sea turtles in Orissa coast was distributed to different individuals and agencies within the country and abroad on their request. The mass nesting of Olive ridleys at Gahirmatha that took place in March-April 1999 was. video recorded by die efforts of Sri Chitta Behera and Ashis Senapati.

Like the previous years, the Organisation arranged a 4 day On-the-job Training in Videography for the students of Ravenshaw College ( Autonomous) offering Functional English. As a part of this Training Programme, exposure to Video Camera, hands-on experience of both indoor and outdoor shooting and new reading before the camera were provided by the technical team of the Organisation.

Like the previous years too, the Video Camera and Computer Systems were used for the purpose of augmenting the income of the Organisation to supplement the matching grants from the Government.

The International Day for Child Labour was observed on 30th April 1999 through a Public Meeting held at Town Hall, Cuttack , attended by about 150 delegates from different walks of life. Sri Isaac Behera IAS Collector Cuttack graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and lauded the continuing efforts of the Organisation in spreading awareness on the social malady like the child labour.

In the wake of the Super Cyclone, there prevailed a state of chaos for about a fortnight in the disaster-hit areas, where there was acute shortage of food and kerosene. In quite many places, loot of public godowns and vehicles carrying food stocks took place with police remaining sight seers only. Under the circmnstances, the relief workers of the Organisation spread out into different affected areas, established repport with the local leaders, arranged their face-to-face meeting with concerned Public Distribution officials and thereby eased the brewing tension to some extent. They also helped the PDS authorities make their announcement on the essential provisions reach the affected people in a systematic manner. The Deaddiction Cenrte at Kendrapara was converted for about a week into the distribution centre for the essential provisions made by the district administration. Several meetings were held in the cyclone affected places of Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Cuttack district in collaboration with both local and outside agencies for bringing about disciplne among the consumers, and also oreder in the PDS operations in a situation marked by chaos and anarchy.

As in the previous year, the Organisation extended its active collaboration to Orissa Patita Udhar Samiti, a Bhubaneswar based NGO working for the welfare and rehabilitation of sex workers at notorious red-light area Mali Sahi and other slums of the Capital city. Specifically speaking, the collaborartion was made in respect of preparation of photo identity cards for the sex workers, socio-economic survey of their back-ground, formulation of suitable project proposals for their rehabilitation, and above all articulating the human rights issues vis-avis the torture and harassment by the brothel owners hand-in-glove with the police, coupled with the apathy and ambivalence of officialdom towards the stigmatised profession of sex workers.

The unprecedented Super Cyclone that struck Orissa coast on 29 October '99 didn't spare Project Swarajya from the havoc it created. While the building and infrastructure of the CAPART assisted Project for Training-cum-Production in Dry Fish running at Sandbakud, Paradip were completely washed away, the Offices running at Cuttack and Kendrapara were subject to partial damage. However, the Organisation had to ignore such losses in order to work whole- hearted for the rescue, relief and rehabilitation of the commoon people who were both physically and entally in an utter state of despair and desperation

The following salient categories of activities on this front were undertaken by the Organisation for the cyclone affected people:

A ) Rescue and Shelter to houseless families in the Centres at Khadianga and Marshaghai in Kendrapara district;

B ) The Centre at Khadiaanga, Kendrapara served as the storage and distribution of emergency relief materials provided by the Pubic Distribution System of the Kendrapara district administration;

C ) Organising of Health and Sanitaion Camps ill the worst affected villages of Erasama in JagatsinghPur district and that of Mahakalpara in Kendrapara district;

D ) Assisting the Army personnel in air-dropping of emergency relief materials in sensitive places of Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur district;

E ) Providing accommodation and escort to the medical teams of neighboring States of West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh in visiting and offering medical services to the people in worst-affected villages in Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts;

F ) Assisting CASA in survey and identification of fishermen families in coastal villages of worst-hit Kendrapara and JagatsinghPur districts, who lost boats and nets in the super cyclone and were in need of compensation for the same;

G ) Collaborating with National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa in assessing the infrastructureal and ecological damage in the coastal areas due to the super cyclone;

H ) Health survey and assessment of emergency needs of medicare and sanitation in Kantapada Block of Cuttack district;

I ) Active participation in the Orissa Super Cyclone Care Committee, an apex Organisation and presentation of Memoranda on the short term and long tern needs of the Cyclone affected people of Orissa to the various Departments of State Government;

J ) Assisting various local NGOs in preoaring Action Plans and Project Proposals for submission to the donor agencies; and

K ) Active participation in the Survey of affected fishermen families in Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts, undertaken by the Directorate of Fisheries, Orissa as a part of the forth-coming DFIED sponsored project for restoration of assets to the affected fishermen population in the coastal districts of the State.