BJP seeks Rs 2,000 cr Central aid for flood-hit Guj

New Delhi, Aug 18: The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party today sought a Rs 2,000-crore Central aid for Gujarat to rehabilitate victims of the devastating floods in the state.

The demand was raised in the Lok Sabha by BJP MP and former Union Minister Harin Pathak, who also sought one-year waiver of interest for flood-hit small scale industry (SSI) units and loans with low interest rates.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Mr Pathak said thousands of SSI units had suffered huge losses and lakhs of migrant workers from Bihar and West Bengal were rendered homeless in the floods in the industrial cities of Surat, Bharuch and Baroda.

About 2.14 lakh workers have been hit hard in Surat alone, he said.

''The situation is getting back to normal and the Central government should provide an assistance of Rs 2,000 crore for rehabilitating the victims,'' Mr Pathak said.

He said the Central government should also give service tax relief in excise and custom duty to industrial units to help them overcome the crisis and sought its assistance for the flood-hit farmers.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee had visited the flood-hit regions in the state.

UNI

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