The flood-hit people of Khagaria district in Bihar on Sunday pasted posters of their local Lok Sabha MP in town as “Missing” and announced reward of two kg Chura (beaten rice) and 500 gm Sattu (roasted gram powder) to those who would locate his address. A Union minister too was gheraoed and protested by angry flood victims at Vaishali while several other ministers, including the chief minister and alliance partner Lalu Prasad Yadav visited flood-affected areas in different districts to see the relief works and instructed officials for necessary actions.
The flood-affected people of Khagaria district plastered the town with posters of the Lok Janshakti Party MP Chaudhury Mehboob Ali Kaiser with the caption as “Missing”. They also announced reward of two kgs of Chura (beaten rice) and 500 kg of Sattu (roasted gram powder) to those who would locate the MP’s address. Mr Kaiser, complained the protestors, has not visited his constituency ever since flood water has marooned them. Mr Kaiser, earlier was state Congress President but when denied ticked he contested the last Lok Sabha election in 2014 from Lok Janshakti Party and won the poll.
“The government gives us two kgs of chura and 500 gm sattu to eat as flood relief…we’ve decided to reward those with this relief stuffs who will locate our MP’s address”, said Nawal Kishore Yadav of Khagaria. Along with other districts of the state, a large part of Khagaria district too is inundated with flood water since last several days. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had made aerial survey of Khagaria on Friday and instructed officials for necessary actions in view of relief operations.
Similarly, Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Samata party leader Upendra Kushwaha too had to face flak from the flood-hit people when he visited Hasanpur village of Mahnar in Vaishali district on Sunday. The angry protestors’ gheraoed the minister for two hours while shouting slogans against the meager relief materials and help. Later, Mr Kushwaha had to retreat from the spot in a huff. Two other union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Ram Kripal Yadav also visited flood-hit areas of Bakhtiyarpur and Punpun in Patna district and take stock of the situation. Mr Prasad took lunch along with flood-hit people taking shelter at a relief camp in Bakhtiyarpur. “Though, the NDRF teams have been doing good work but for the relief and rehabilitation there is need of more to be done…fodder for animals should be arranged”, said Mr Prasad.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who has regularly been taking aerial survey and visiting relief camps in flood-affected areas of the state, too reached Bhagalpur and Purnea on Sunday to see the relief works at camps set-up by the government for the flood-hit people. At Sabour in Bhagalpur he asked officials to set-up shelter for the animals also. From Naugacchia jail, all 252 prisoners had to be shifted to Bhagalpur jail on Saturday evening when flood water entered into the jail premises. The flood situation in Bhagalpur district continued to be grim as rail and road traffic too have been badly affected.
Meanwhile, along with his younger son and Deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav, ruling alliance partner and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav too took an aerial survey of the flood-affected districts and reached Buxar on Sunday where the marooned people complained that in the name of flood relief “scam” was going on in the district. Mr Prasad and his son later assured them that stern action will be taken against those officials who would be found lax in their duties. Later, Deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav visited inundated Bidupur area of his assembly constituency Raghopur in Vaishali district and took stock of the relief operation there. Earlier, the marooned residents who have taken shelter in relief camps set-up at highways had complained of meager food and fodder supply to him.
According to a government release altogether 3.03 lakh people have taken shelter in 598 relief camps set-up in flood-hit districts. As many as 58 people have died in flood so far while the government has been plying 2821 boats for 37.21 lakh flood affected population of 569 panchayats and 74 blocks in 12 marooned districts. Meanwhile, receding trend of flood water in rivers of spate has been noted.
