Munde demands lasting rehab plan for Marathwada flood-affected

Paithan, Maharashtra, Aug 31 (UNI) Senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde today blamed Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, his deputy R R Patil and Irrigation Minister Ajit Pawar for the recent devastating floods caused because of the release of water from the dams in Marathwada and warned his party would organise indefinite ''gheraos'' of the State Cabinet until it declared a concrete plan for permanant rehabilitation of the flood-affected people.

Addresing a public meeting at the Shivaji Chowk area here to mark the beginning of his 15-day ''goda parikrama'', Mr Munde reiterated that the floods in Marathwada were a man-made calamity since authorities had released water from the dams after they reached their full capacities.

''The damage would certainly have been less if the authorities had released water when the dams had attained 60 per cent of their storage capacity, instead of discharging water after the dams had crossed the 90 per cent levels,'' he claimed.

The former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister said the Government, within the next two days, should clarify its stand on the the permanant rehabilitation of the flood affected people of Marathwada on the lines of rehabilitation of quake-affected people in the region. Else, the BJP will resort to an indefinite ''gherao'' of the the entire State Cabinet when it meets in Aurangabad on September 18-19.

The BJP leader in the State Assembly also warned his party activists will not allow the ministers to leave the city after the Cabinet meeting without declaring a concrete rehabilitation plan.

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