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State, Centre war of words delays help to flood victims

Soroor Ahmed in Patna

While millions of flood-hit people in Bihar await help, the Union Government is locked in a slanging match with the state government over the nitty-gritty of applying for funds from the Centre.

In his first press conference in Patna after assuming charge as the union minister of state for agriculture, Hukum Deo Narayan Yadav, stirred the hornet's nest by alleging that Centre had not provided any financial assistance to the flood-affected people because the Rabri government had failed to formally put up any such request before it.

He said though the Centre provides funds to states under the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF), the money is released only after a state puts up a formal request after making a detailed assessment of the damage to crop and property.

Bihar's Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Ram Vichar Rai has, however, denied the charge. He invited this correspondent to the secretariat to see the records of how and when such demands were made.

Whatever may be the truth, the war of words between the Centre and the state is not going to mitigate the hardships being faced by flood victims. Hukum Deo Narayan Yadav's home district, Madhubani, is one of the worst affected areas.

People who have lost their home and hearth are not interested in the technicalities. What they want is immediate relief and a permanent solution to the menace of flood. However, on being asked about the Centre's initiative to check the recurring floods in north Bihar, the union minister's reply was that the solution could be found only if the representatives of both the Union and the state governments along with their Nepalese counterpart sat together and thrashed out the issue.

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