Government should stop step-motherly treatment with Seemanchal: Akhtarul Iman

Patna, Correspondent: On the second day of the monsoon session of the Bihar Assembly, Akhtarul Iman, the Bihar legislator of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and MLA from Jokihat, staged a strong protest in the House over the issues of river erosion, annual floods, broken bridges, and the continuous neglect of Seemanchal, as well as the government's development claims. Holding placards with various demands, Akhtarul Iman asked the government that if Bihar is on the path of development, then why are the people of Seemanchal still deprived of basic amenities.

During the protest, he raised slogans such as "Broken bridge, is this the development of Bihar?", "The game of river erosion, the drum of development, the price of erosion, the government must answer", "Destruction from floods every year, when will we get relief?", "The Bihar government has completely failed in the matter of erosion and development", and "When will the step-motherly treatment of Seemanchal end?" to corner the government.

Akhtarul Iman said that the north-eastern districts of Bihar, especially Kishanganj, Araria, Purnia, and Katihar, face the devastation of floods and river erosion every year. Thousands of families are left homeless, hundreds of villages are affected, agricultural lands are washed away by rivers, and the hard work of the people is destroyed in a few days, but the government has not come up with any permanent plan to address this issue.

He said that every year during the rainy season, the government holds review meetings, makes announcements, and claims to provide relief, but the ground reality is that no strong embankments have been built in the affected areas, no effective arrangements have been made to prevent river erosion, and the permanent rehabilitation of the affected people has not been ensured. According to him, this is the reason why the people of Seemanchal are still forced to live in insecurity and uncertainty.

Akhtarul Iman questioned the government's development claims, saying that if the state is really developing, then what do the broken bridges, dilapidated roads, eroding riverbanks, and the settlements destroyed by floods every year reflect? He said that development is not just about numbers and advertisements, but it is measured by the improvement in the lives of the people, and the people of Seemanchal are still deprived of this improvement.

He alleged that the state government has consistently adopted a discriminatory attitude towards Seemanchal in development projects. According to him, large-scale investments are being made in other parts of the state to build basic infrastructure, while in Seemanchal, basic issues like floods, river erosion, roads, bridges, health, and education have remained unchanged for years.

Akhtarul Iman demanded that the government implement a comprehensive and long-term master plan to prevent river erosion, announce a special development package for the flood-affected districts of Seemanchal, build strong protective embankments and spurs, provide immediate and adequate compensation to the affected families, ensure the permanent rehabilitation of the homeless, and adopt an effective strategy for the development of the entire region.

Akhtarul Iman demanded that the government implement a comprehensive master plan to permanently prevent river erosion, announce a special development package for the flood-affected districts of Seemanchal, build strong protective embankments and spurs, provide immediate and adequate compensation to the affected families, ensure the permanent rehabilitation of the homeless, and implement modern technical projects to deal with floods and erosion.

Later, while talking to journalists, he said that floods and river erosion are not just seasonal issues, but a matter of life, livelihood, and future for millions of people. He made it clear that until the people of Seemanchal get justice and their basic problems are solved permanently, they will continue to raise their voice both inside and outside the Assembly.

He said that if the government really wants to fulfill the dream of a "developed Bihar", it will have to go beyond advertisements and claims and face the ground realities. Development will be credible only when the last person, the last village, and especially the people of Seemanchal get equal facilities, security, and justice.