BJP assails government over Uttarakhand issue

PATNA: Opposition BJP assailed the Nitish Kumar government in the assembly over its alleged insensitive approach towards devotees from the state who faced 'harrowing' time in Uttarakhand during the floods there.

Senior BJP leader Ashwani Choubey, who escaped the tragedy at Kedarnath but lost seven members in his group, through a call attention notice sought to know from the state government the steps it took for pilgrims from the state trapped there.

Bihar government's claim of steps taken for Uttarakhand victims existed only on papers, Choubey said alleging there was no relief camp set up by in Uttarakhand.

Choubey, who was health minister in Nitish Kumar government and was sacked along with other BJP ministers while he was in Uttarakhand, said while other states had made elaborate arrangements for its citizens, Bihar did precious little.

He also hit out at the government for not including seven members of his group comprising three policemen, a health department employee, two relatives and a holy man in the list of dead.

Disaster Management minister Renu Kumari said the state government has handed over a list of 58 missing people to Uttarakhand for verification. She also highlighted measures taken by the state government for devotees.

The dissatisfied BJP members were, however, trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans against the government and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for "insensitivity" towards Uttarakhand pilgrims.

The BJP members also demanded doubling of the salary of contractual teachers and payment of arrears to education institutions for the past five years.