Nitish accuses Centre of ignoring his requests for flood

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar accused the Centre of ignoring his repeated requests for release of the compensation package to rehabilitate the families displaced in floods caused by Kosi river.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on monday accused the Centre of ignoring his repeated requests for release of the compensation package to rehabilitate the families displaced in floods caused by Kosi river.

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The chief minister reminded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about Centre's promise to the state along the lines packages sanctioned for Aila cyclone victims in West Bengal.

"It seems the Centre has written off Bihar's presence in its list ... It is evident from the shelving of its (Bihar's) requests on the compensation and relief package for flood victims," he told reporters on the sidelines of his 'Janata Darbar' programme at his official residence in Patna.

The chief minister said his demand for the grants for tackling the drought situation prevailing in the state has also gone into vain.

Despite the prime minister's promise that he would consider the package for the flood victims and release the required funds, not a single penny had been received by the state so far, he said.

"We have sought a compensation package worth Rs 14,800 crore for the 2008 flood victims for reconstruction and rehabilitation works," he recalled and said his request for the release of the money, despite the prime minister declaring the floods as national calamity, had been put into 'cold storage'.