Centre to bear expenses of plugging breached Kosi embankment

Patna, Sep 22(UNI) Union minister of state for water resources Jaiprakash Yadav today said the Centre would bear the entire expense of plugging of breached Kosi embankment at Kushaha in Nepal.

Mr Yadav told newspersons here that the breach in Kosi embankment at Kushaha was a result of criminal negligence of the Nitish Kumar government in carrying out flood protection works before the onset of monsoon this year.

'' The lackadaisical approach of the Bihar government on such a sensitive issue could be gauged from the fact that state water resources minister Vijendra Prasad Yadav himself attended only one of the 24 meetings convened by the Centre on flood menace in North Bihar,'' Mr Yadav pointed out.

The Centre had decided to bear the expenses of plugging of the breached Kosi embankment and steps has already been initiated in this regard, he added.

'' The Nitish Kumar government owes an explanation on its failure to complete the construction works on Kosi embankment as per the recommendation of the high power Kosi committee in October 2007,'' Mr Yadav said and added instead of accepting its failure on the issue, the Bihar government was engaged in misleading the people that the breach of Kosi embankment was caused by lack of Indo-Nepal cordination.

'' The progress report on flood protection works on Kosi embankment sent to the Centre by the Bihar government indicated that it was not completed by June 15 this year,'' he said and added the correspondence between the state government and the Centre clearly indicated the Bihar government was suppressing the ground realities.

Mr Yadav said the Bihar government had spent only Rs 13 lakh against the estimated cost of Rs 26 lakh on flood protection works of Kosi embankment.

UNI KKS-RS KK DB1816