BJP criticises Jitan Ram Manjhi government over rescue and relief work

PATNA: The BJP today lashed out at Bihar government for "failure" to carry out rescue and relief works as well to take preventive measures to minimise the impact of natural calamity afflicting the state every year.

Distribution of relief materials has been "woefully inadequate" as rations, polythene sheets and related materials were yet to reach the flood-affected people in 12 districts, state BJP president Mangal Pandey and the party's Darbhanga MP Kirti Azad said.

Several people have died due to hunger and related problems as rations did not reach the affected families in marooned districts, they alleged, adding that the people were running relief camps on their own and arranging food grains so that they could somehow survive through the natural disaster.

State government officials and the State Disaster Response Force ( SDRF) teams were yet to reach the people living in marooned areas and provide relief materials to them, they alleged claiming that crores of funds released for the purpose have been swindled by corrupt officials.

Azad said that he has written letters to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bihar chief minister drawing their attention towards the plight of the flood-affected people in his constituency and elsewhere in the state and sought their immediate attention for proper distribution of relief camp among those affected people.

The BJP leaders hailed the Prime Minister for announcing Rs two lakh assistance to the kins of flood victims in Bihar from the Prime Minister's relief fund and said that the money will help the affect people tide over a tough time.

The Bihar BJP president accused the ruling JD(U) and the chief minister with being more concerned with survival of the government than mitigation of the plight of flood-affected people.