Rajbiraj, August 16

CPN-Maoist Centre Chairperson and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal inspected various flood-hit areas of Saptari district today.

Dahal distributed relief materials to flood victims at a Dalit settlement in Inarwa of Hanumannagar Kankalani Municipality. During his inspection visit, he said he was aware of hardships that flood victims across the country were facing and urged all to put in concerted efforts to get over this dire situation.

Minister for Home Affairs Janardan Sharma and Minister for Supply Shiva Kumar Mandal, among others, were accompanying Dahal.

He pledged that his party and the government would do their best to rescue stranded people, distribute relief materials to flood victims and rehabilitate them.

Home Minister Sharma pledged prompt action for relief distribution. He claimed that the government had already dispatched relief materials to all disaster-hit districts.

He clarified that the government was highly sensitive to relief distribution and relocation of flood victims.

Supply Minister Mandal said the government had developed a high level mechanism to distribute relief materials in an organised way in all flood-affected districts.

However, flood victims have complained that they have been surviving on noodles, puffed rice and beaten rice for a week now. “It is very difficult to save children by feeding them noodles and puffed rice for days,” said Samatoliya Mukhiya of Banarjhula, who has been taking shelter on the roadside at Hanumannagar.

Another victim Satya Narayan Ray of Kusaha said it was really tough for kids to spend the night in the open amid fears of snakebite and mosquitos.

The inspection team also met the family of Domi Yadav of Rajbiraj Municipality, who was swept away by a flooded river, while he was repairing a dam across the Khado River on Thursday. His whereabouts are still known. The local administration has recommended that the government provide one million rupees in compensation to his family, assuming that he is dead.

Dahal said Rs 2 lakh relief for the family of the deceased was a negligible amount and pledged to ask the government to increase the amount.

Locals have demanded that Domi Yadav be declared a martyr and his family be provided with relief and compensation accordingly.