Flood-hit Bihar needs permanent solution, not charity: Lalu Prasad

Patna, Sep 8 (ABN) Former Chief Minister and National President of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Lalu Prasad on Tuesday spoke about the sufferings of people struggling with floods in Bihar and said that Bihar does not need alms from the Center but money as per its rights and reputation.
Targeting the state government amid the worst floods in Bihar in a decade, the former chief minister said that at a time when the state's coffers are empty and fiscal pressure is at its peak, he is recalling his struggle for the rights of Bihar and Bihari people from the streets to the House.
Sharing a video on social media on Tuesday, Mr. Prasad said that he has fought more than both the ruling party and the opposition for the rights of Bihar. He alleged that the interests of Bihar were not being protected despite the presence of a large number of Union ministers from Bihar in the central government.
The RJD president said that in 2004, the United Progressive Alliance government was formed with the support of 24 RJD MPs, and he became the Railways Minister. He claimed that between 2004 and 2009, using his political influence, he obtained Rs 144,000 crore from the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi for the development of Bihar. He said that whatever was promised at that time was fulfilled.
Mr. Prasad alleged that the funds from the same package sanctioned for Bihar during his government after 2005 were used by the then Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to flaunt his government's achievements. He said that despite holding influential positions at the Centre, the leaders associated with Bihar failed to get adequate central assistance for the state, though they always spoke in the interest of Bihar, regardless of political differences.
The RJD leader said that today there is a National Democratic Alliance government in both the Center and the state and a large number of MPs from Bihar are also at the Centre, yet the issues of Bihar are not being taken up effectively. The RJD president said that he has always tried to find a permanent solution to the flood and river problems in Nepal. Sharing a video of a 2011 speech in Parliament, he said that at that time there was a United Progressive Alliance government at the Center and a Janata Dal United Bharatiya Janata Party government in Bihar, but he continued to speak in favor of Bihar despite separate governments at the Center and the state.
Mr. Prasad said that a clear and concrete dialogue should be held with the Nepal government to maintain the rivers and find a permanent solution to the flood problem. He said that this issue was also raised by former Chief Minister Karpuri Thakur. Instead of providing immediate relief during floods every year, Bihar should make permanent arrangements to relieve people from this recurrent calamity.
The former chief minister alleged that Bihar was not getting the funds it needed to maintain the rivers. He said that instead of announcing free ration or other aid during elections and floods, a permanent solution to the flood problem should be found.
Mr. Prasad said that people from Bihar migrate to different parts of the country and abroad in search of employment and earn their livelihood there through hard work. This money comes in Bihar, but is not spent in proportion to the population of the state and its contribution. He said that there is a need for balance between the money collected in the state and the loans given.
The RJD president raised the issue of Bihar's low credit-deposit ratio, saying that the flow of credit in Bihar is insufficient in proportion to the amount deposited by individuals and institutions in banks. He questioned why Bihar's credit-deposit ratio is the lowest in the country.
Mr. Prasad said that the current floods have once again proved that Bihar needs a permanent solution to the problems related to floods, maintenance of rivers, flow of water from Nepal and financial interests of the state instead of a policy limited to relief and rehabilitation.
He called upon the central and state governments to provide adequate financial resources keeping in view the long-term interests of Bihar and formulate a sound and sustainable flood control policy.