Stating that the Centre will provide all kind of help to Bihar to deal with the flood situation, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today asked the state government to submit a memorandum at the earliest on the damages caused by floods in the state.
"Bihar government should get the survey done and send its memorandum at the earliest to the Centre on damages caused by floods in the state... Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said the government will act immediately after getting the memorandum in this regard," Prasad told reporters here.
The memorandum should have details of crops and houses damaged, list of flood-affected persons and damages caused to bridges, culverts and roads due to the floods, he said.
The Union Law and Justice Minister was talking to reporters after visiting flood affected areas and relief camps in Patna and was accompanied by party MLC Sanjay Mayukh, MLAs Nitin Navin and Sanjeev Chaurasia during the visit.
Stating that the Centre gives Rs 479 crore every year to Bihar for disaster related work, Prasad said the first instalment of Rs 262 crore has already been released in June, while the remaining amount, which is due in December, would be released soon if the Bihar government makes a formal request.
The Prime Minister, who has already expressed profound grief over the loss of lives in the floods, is quick and active vis-a-vis taking action in times of disasters. He has acted swiftly when there was floods in Jammu and Kashmir and earthquake in Nepal, the Union Minister said, adding "Government of India took proactive role in rescuing people in Bihar floods.
On the help given by Centre to Bihar during the current
spate of floods, Prasad said 22 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) comprising 1,000 personnel including 767 rescuers were working with 71 boats and have so far evacuated 26,720 people.
He said that Centre has given 20,000 metric tonnes of foodgrains to Bihar to deal with flood situation.
After visiting flood-affected areas and relief camps, Prasad admitted that food was being served to people living in camps but those stuck in villages are not getting grains and are forced to have flattened rice and jaggery.
People said there was no fodder to feed the cattle both in animal camps and in the villages, he said.
Prasad said the people of Sukulpur, Nathachak, Raibagh, Kasara, Nizampur villages of Punadih panchayats of Patna Sadar complained that they have not got anything.
"I am quite surprised to see if people living in villages located barely 10-12 km away from Patna are not getting relief material, then what will be the situation at other places. I strongly condemn this," the Minister said.
