People's Democracy

AIKS On Flood Fury In North Bihar

IN a press statement issued by its joint secretary N K Shukla on August 5, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has expressed deep sorrow and strong resentment at the death of dozens of people due to floods in north Bihar and sent its condolences to the bereaved families. Almost every year north Bihar has to face the fury of floods and loss of not only the people’s precious lives but also of the livestock, houses, crops and roads, etc, worth thousands of crores of rupees. Yet both the central and state governments have failed to take any preventive or corrective step, thus increasing the extent of losses year by year.   
In this regard, the central government has been adopting a callous attitude by not taking up the matter of controlling the rivers with the government of Nepal. Nor has it constructed any dams or provided adequate fund and technology to the state government for repairing the bandhs, completing the irrigation and flood control projects and desilting the rivers and canals. All this is in line with its policies of liberalisation and privatisation, and also a glaring example of its discriminatory behaviour towards the suffering people on petty political considerations. 
  
On its part, the state government has also shown lack of seriousness towards the problem of floods and is dealing with it as an ad hoc matter. 
  
The All India Kisan Sabha has therefore demanded that both the central and state governments take urgent short term and long term steps in this regard. They must provide immediate relief to the flood affected people as well as adequate compensation for the loss of human life, livestock and crops, and also take long term measures to permanently minimise the suffering due to recurrence of floods.