Nitish Kumar Effigies Burnt across Flood Ravaged North Eastern Bihar

The Bihar government is underestimating the horror and extent of the floods just as it has underestimated the Corona crisis, jeopardizing crores of lives. It is a matter of great shame that despite the so-called double-engine government in Bihar no solution has been found to the flood problem. In fact, the floods have become a huge means of corruption for politicians and bureaucrats. The fate of the Sattar Ghat Bridge is the most recent example of this organized corruption.

CPIML Bihar State Secretary Kunal and Dhirendra Jha pointed out that so far the Districts of Chhapra, Madhubani, Samastipur, Khagariya, Saharasa, Supoul, Katihar, Araria, Madhepura and Bhagalpur have not been included in the government statistics, whereas the flood situation in these Districts is grave.

Several embankments are breaking due to poor maintenance, and roads and bridges are being washed away. Traffic has been obstructed on a large scale. Trains on many routes are at a complete standstill and life has become chaotic, but the government is blind to everything except its eagerness to retain power.

In this situation, CPIML has demanded from the Bihar government: To declare all the Districts of North Bihar as flood-affected; in view of the flood-disaster over and above Corona and Lockdown, disburse Rs 25,000 as relief each without delay to all flood-affected families; dry food packets and drinking water for all families of inundated villages and Tolas who have taken shelter in higher areas; adequate supply of fodder for cattle; adequate number of boats; arrange District Council level mobile Medical Centers; Rs 20,000 per acre crop loss compensation for all farmers and sharecroppers; Rs 7500 monthly unemployment allowance for all agrarian, rural and migrant workers; a housing project for giving pucca two-storey houses to dalits and poor affected by floods in North-eastern Bihar; plan for a sustainable and stable solution for prevention of floods and drought; call an all-party meeting immediately on the issue of competent flood relief operations.

Protests across North Eastern Bihar

On 4 August effigies of CM NItish Kumar burnt in protest across North Bihar from Gopalganj to Katihar, to protest against sheer negligence and underestimation of the ground situation on the part of the Bihar government.

The horror and extent of the floods is far greater than told by the state government and lives of crores of people are in severe crisis, in the same way that it underestimated the Corona crisis.

Observing distancing and other Corona prevention protocol, effigies of the Chief Minister were burnt in Muzaffarpur, Saran, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Katihar, Samastipur, Purnea, Siwan, Gopalganj, Western Champaran, Eastern Champaran, Sitamarhi and other Districts.

Leader of the CPIML Legislative Party in Bihar Mahboob Alam demanded that an all-party meeting should be called immediately on this issue.