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‘Govt is not running Zomato’: Official tells flood-hit locals in UP, draws flak | Watch
In a widely shared video, Ambedkar Nagar DM can be heard asking local people to fix a time so that the food can be prepared accordingly for distribution.
A video of a government official in Uttar Pradesh's Ambedkar Nagar district telling flood-affected people that authorities are not running “Zomato service” to provide door-to-door food or relief materials has been shared widely on the internet, drawing criticism from many.
In the video, Ambedkar Nagar district magistrate (DM) Samuel Paul can be heard asking the local people to fix a time as per their convenience so that the food can be prepared accordingly for distribution. He said that the the purpose of setting up “baadh chowki (flood posts)” is for people to get help and fulfil their basic necessities.
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“There are arrangements for you (people) to stay there (flood posts). We will give you chlorine tablets. If you fall sick, doctors are available who will come and see you. These are the purpose for a flood post. The government is not running a Zomato service that we will send you food at home,” the DM can be heard saying in the video.
Ambedkar Nagar is among the districts where government officials have been instructed by chief minister Yogi Adityanath to be on alert owing to the possibility of floods. At a high-level meeting chaired by the CM earlier this week, orders were given to keep the DM control room functional 24x7 under the leadership of joint magistrate level officers.
Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia and Ayodhya are some of the other districts, heavily affected by floods.
The northern state is grappling in the aftermath of incessant rainfall, with flood water entering the houses of local people in some districts, including Ambedkar Nagar.
Adityanath on Thursday made an aerial survey of flood-affected regions in Sant Kabir district and also distributed relief materials to the flood-hit victims.
The flood situation in Uttar Pradesh has especially been worrisome as several rivers, including Rapti and Saryu have swollen. Officials said local people, including those in Deoria and Sant Kabir Nagar districts, have been spending sleepless nights amid rising concerns of overflow.
