Nitish accuses Centre of not releasing flood relief fund

Patna, (Bihar Times): Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday alleged that the state is yet to receive a single penny from the Centre’s Calamity Relief Fund for last year.

Talking to reporters at Janata Darbar he said though the Union ministers from Bihar have repeatedly been accusing the state of not spending the Centre’s fund yet they were doing nothing to get reimburse what the state had already spent on flood in 2007.

He clarified that he was not talking about the long term anti-flood measures but just about the due of the state. The state had submitted two-part comprehensive flood-control and rehabilitation proposal to the Centre last year. The first part was of Rs 11,677 crore plan for interlinking rivers and flood moderation while the second part sought additional plan assistance of Rs 4,483 crore for housing and local level flood security measure. In contrast the state got additional Central assistance of Rs 100 crore for projects of special importance to the state.

Nitish said the Centre had not paid any heed to the long-term projects to check the recurring floods in Bihar. He said that the Centre had sent just 100 tonnes of foodgrains against 300 tonnes assured by the Prime Minister. It needs to be mentioned that the state had spent Rs 1,302 crore on flood relief last year.