Patna: RJD national working president Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Sunday alleged that the NDA’s 42 Lok Sabha MPs and Rajya Sabha members from Bihar, along with its 250 MLAs and MLCs, had failed to exert pressure on the Centre to secure immediate central assistance for the state to deal with the flood situation, which has affected around 50 lakh people.“NDA MPs and legislators from the state have even failed to appeal to or impress upon PM Narendra Modi that he should visit the state. This is the situation although the BJP national president Nitin Nabin is from Bihar and the state, too, has its first BJP CM in Samrat Choudhary,” Tejashwi told reporters at his official residence on Polo Road on Sunday.He claimed that the central team led by Union agriculture and farmers welfare minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited Bihar recently to assess flood damage after he wrote to PM Modi. However, he said there had been no indication yet about the team’s assessment of the extent of damage or the assistance required for relief and rehabilitation.While the CM has announced relief of Rs7,000 per family for flood-affected families, Tejashwi demanded that the Centre provide Rs15,000 per family as immediate assistance. He also demanded a survey of farmers in flood and drought-hit areas and compensation for crop damage.He said farmers had been hit by drought-like conditions in addition to floods, claiming that the state had recorded an overall rainfall shortfall of 35% so far.Tejashwi also criticised alleged spending of huge money on the lighting of earthen lamps as part of the celebrations for PM Modi’s birthday in the state. He questioned the expenditure at a time when Bihar was facing floods, drought-like conditions and financial constraints.He said the CM’s appeal to NDA MLAs and MLCs to contribute one month’s salary towards a fund for flood-affected people would generate only around Rs2.5 crore.
