Take up Bihar floods issue with Nepal PM: NDA

New Delhi, Sep 3 (UNI) An NDA delegation led by Leader of the Opposition L K Advani today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take up the issue of amendment of the 1964 Indo-Nepal Treaty to ensure that floods originating from rivers in the Himalayan country were checked and controlled.

Mr Advani, who visited the flood affected districts of north Bihar yesterday, told the Prime Mnister in a meeting that the problem of flood in Kosi river was due to the inadequacies of the Treaty and the issue should be taken up when Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda visits Delhi.

The provisions regarding building and maintenance of the barrages on Nepal side should be clear and there should be no confusion.

The unprecedented floods in Bihar had marooned 800 villages in five districts displacing 25 lakh people from their homes and the Prime Minister had appropriately termed it as a national calamity.

Mr Advani asked the Prime Minister to advise his Cabinet colleagues not to politicise the relief and rehabilitation work in Bihar floods and rapid assistance and compensations should be provided to the victims at the earliest.

Janta Dal (United) general secretary K C Tyagi, BJP spokesman Ravishankar Prasad and BJP MP from Bhagalpur Mr Shanawaz Hussain accompanied Mr Advani during his meeting.

UNI MCN SP KN1916