Ranchi, Sept. 10: At least 18 villages of Bhavnathpur and Kandi blocks in Garhwa district have been hit by floods after the sudden opening of floodgates of Rihand dam in Uttar Pradesh.
The flooding of the subsidiaries of Sone river also aggravated the situation. Water resources development minister Ram Chandra Kesri said several families have been rendered homeless in these villages.
The crops have been washed away and several cattle killed. The minister has asked Garhwa deputy commissioner to immediately provide relief items to the flood victims.
He has also sought a detailed report on the losses caused by the flood to release necessary amount from the national calamity emergency fund. He also plans to take up the issue with the Uttar Pradesh government and the Centre.
“The sudden opening of floodgates is responsible for the situation. The floodgates have been opened in the past as well,” he added. The minister suspended two assistant engineers for not joining the new posting despite being transferred in June 2002.
The action was taken on the complaint of Congress MLA Niel Tirkey. The minister also ordered the execution of other transfer orders.
Kesri criticised the Opposition MLAs for boycotting the opening day of the monsoon session. He said boycotting the condolence meeting of eminent personalities and said it could not be justified under any circumstances.
“It is unfortunate that 12 Opposition MLAs had though registered their presence in the Assembly last Friday, they did not participate in the condolence motion,” he added.
Official remanded
Special vigilance judge Prabhu Tiwari remanded Ranchi-based industrial extension officer Ramji Prasad Singh to 14-day judicial custody, reports our correspondent.
He has been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Singh was caught red-handed accepting Rs 300 from an entrepreneur, Abdul Samad, by a vigilance team today.
In another development, two special CBI courts — courts of A.K. Sengupta and Ramanuj Narayan — framed charges against 87 persons accused in multi-crore-fodder scam at Ranchi and Gumla.
