Rajbiraj, August 27:

Vice-President Paramananda Jha said today that spurs of the Saptakoshi embankment collapsed due to negligence on the part of technicians tasked with maintenance of the spurs. He said that the technicians should be punished. Jha said this after inspecting a temporary camp set up for flood victims in Bhardaha of Saptari district. “Be

they Indian or Nepali technicians, they must be punished for negligence,” he said.

Instead of indulging in blame-game, all should join hands to provide relief to the victims, he said in his home district of Saptari. Around 21,000 Nepalis and 3,000 Indians have been taking shelter in Saptari’s Bhardaha, Portaha and Kankalini temple near Koshi barrage.