Centre yet to hear state's SOS

Union textiles minister Shankersinh Vaghela is conspicuous by his absence in Surat

The apathy of the Central government towards Gujarat, which witnessed large scale losses owing to torrential rains last week, has left the industry as well as political fraternities fuming.

On top of the list of Union ministers who are yet to visit the state is Shankersinh Vaghela, a member of Parliament from Surat, the textile hub of the state.

According to industry estimates, the textile industry has lost over Rs 500 crore and it could go beyond Rs 1,000 crore as Surat is still witnessing heavy rains.

While Prime minister Manmohan Singh is expected to make his maiden visit to the state after taking oath on Tuesday, till Sunday evening the state machinery has not received any intimation on this.

Political circles in the state see the Centre's attitude towards Gujarat as 'political'.

Chief minister Narendra Modi said: "Gujarat still lies unattended by the Centre in spite of the state witnessing losses worth Rs 1,500 crore. The state is still under the grip of floods. We hope the Prime minister will find sometime to take stock of the situation on Tuesday. We have demanded a Rs 100 crore flood relief package from the Centre, while another Rs 3 crore has been sought for medical treatment."

On the Centre's apathy towards Gujarat, Modi said, "Let us see how it goes finally."

Modi made his third visit to the flood-hit areas on Saturday. "The Congress-led Central government wants the BJP-run state government to handle the situation alone though the state is a major contributor to the country's growth. Vaghela has not met textile industry representatives yet. Congress leaders and other MPs from the state have also not done much," said a member of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).

Even industry organisations such as the Confederation of Indian Industry, GCCI and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries have not participated in the ongoing damage-control works in the state.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani visited flood-hit areas in south Gujarat last week, while Union minister of state for railways Naransinh Rathwa visited Surat.

The Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry president Dinesh Mandalaywala, said, "The textile industry of Surat has suffered damages of around Rs 350 crore. I personally informed Vaghela about the devastation caused by the floods in Surat, and we are surprised that he has not yet visited the city."

"We believe he might be busy with policy-making. We hope he would be here in the next few days," Mandalaywala said.

"The flood issue has been politicised, and it is likely that this might be the reason for Vaghela's absence."

The Federation of Gujarat Weavers Association, Manu Patel said, "We are shocked at the fact that Vaghela has not visited Surat so far. Thousands of powerloom units have been affected by the floods, causing losses of Rs 200 crore."

Vaghela could not be reached for comments.