Modi fiddles, while Gujarat floods: Modhwadia

Ahmedabad, July 3 (UNI) The tall claims made by the disaster management of the Gujarat government has come unstuck in the first flush of monsoon rains, said leader of opposition in Gujarat Assembly.

When disaster management has itself proved to be a disaster and 5 crore of the state's population has been affected by flood waters and their trade-commerce-transportation badly affected and as many as 30 deaths reported, Chief Minister Narendra Modi is enjoying his trip abroad in Switzerland. It is like ''Nero fiddling, while Rome was burning,'' Mr Modhwadia said in a release here.

This is just the first rainfall in the state and without prior alert water has been released from many check-dams such as Kalubar, Chaparwadi, Khambhala, Hadaf and Thebi that has resulted into flooding of low-lying areas causing damages to fields and houses, he said.

Ironically, the state government has been praising Mr Modi for his fool-proof planning of disaster management. During the first rainfall, no rescue operations could be carried out by the state machinery. Not only that but it has failed to issue alert in advance, he said.

The rains have also washed away check-dams and ponds. The loss of these check-dams and ponds run into crore of rupees, Mr Modhwadia said.

Even after the third day of constant raifall, entire administration is busy with publicity campaign of leisure trip of Mr Modi instead of taking up rescue operations. Mr Modhwadia charged.

He requested Mr Modi to return immediately from Switzerland and extend a helping hand to the people of the state.

UNI