RJD forfeits rights to criticise Bihar flood : JD(U)

Patna, Aug 1 (UNI) The Janta Dal(U) in Bihar today charged the Opposition Rashtriya Janta Dal(RJD) with shedding ''crocodile tears'' for the flood-hit people in the state.

JD(U) state president Rajiv Ranjan, MP, and party national spokesman Sivanand Tiwari alleged that the Opposition had no right to criticise the government since it was during the previous RJD regime that the multi-crore rupee scam towards distribution of flood relief had surfaced.

The entire nation was aware of the fact, Mr Tiwari said adding even the names of some of the family members of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Ms Rabri Devi cropped up on the charge of alleged swindle of crores of rupees.

They said instead of visiting the affected areas, including their own constituencies, and sharing the sufferings of the masses, both the former Chief Ministers were issuing statements from the luxury of their residences and party offices.

Regarding the Opposition's criticism about the utility of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's five-day goodwill visit to Mauritius at a time when most parts of the state had been reeling under a devastating flood, Mr Tiwari claimed that the RJD leadership had failed to understand the long term benefits of the visit.

'' It is not a pleasure tour for the Chief Minister but an opportunity to explore business with the island nation having a large number of NRIs from Bihar, '' Mr Tiwari explained and ridiculed the RJD for not finding any other issue to pin down the government.

About the steps taken to give succour to nearly four million flood-affected people, mostly in North Bihar districts, the JD(U)leaders said apart from starting the relief operation on war footing, the state administration had so far set up 122 relief camps, despatched 47 medical teams of doctors and para medics and distributed 771 quintals of rice, 160 quintals of paddy and more than 2500 quintals of gur and other essentials.

More than 11,200 m of polythine sheets had also been distributed among the marooned people, they informed.

Morever, continuous efforts were being made to reach more people with additional relief, the JD(U) leaders claimed.

UNI