BJP, JD(U) at loggerheads over flood relief package

The BJP has taken umbrage at the JD(U)’s statement that no Union minister from Bihar would be allowed to enter the state if the Centre did not announce flood-relief package at the earliest.

The relations between the ruling and the main Opposition party here turned worse on Tuesday when the JD(U) said Union ministers like Ravi Shankar Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan had been touring the flood-hit areas and having ‘bhojan’ (lunch) with the flood-affected people in relief camps. “The food they enjoy at relief camps is being arranged by the state government. Strangely, those NDA leaders don’t even feel embarrassed that the Modi government has neither extended any help nor announced any package for those hit by floods,” said JD(U) chief spokesperson Sanjay Singh.

He stoked further controversy when he said that none of the seven Union ministers from Bihar would be allowed to enter the state if the Modi government failed to announce a flood package.

Taking exception, BJP legislators Nitin Navin and Sanjay Mayukh on Tuesday asked the JD(U) if Bihar had become ‘jaagir’ (fiefdom) of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Another senior BJP leader and former MP Sabir Ali wondered whether Nitish had got the entire Bihar land registered in his name.

“Nitish should tell us whether he has ever made any representation to the Centre seeking financial aid or submitted any details of damage caused by floods,” asked Navin.
Bihar’s Disaster Management Minister Chandrashekar citing preliminary reports said the state has suffered a loss of Rs 15,000 crore, slightly more than the Rs 14,886 crore loss caused by the 2008 Kosi floods.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who undertook an aerial survey of most of the flood-hit districts, has asked the district magistrates concerned to make an assessment of the damage caused and submit a report by September 5 so that a memorandum could be submitted to the Centre seeking financial assistance to flood-ravaged people.