Katihar (Bihar) [India], September 13 : A group of locals from the Barari Assembly constituency staged a protest during Bihar Minister Pramod Kumar Chandravanshi’s visit to flood-affected areas of Katihar district in Bihar, objecting to the government’s handling of relief measures and also raising concerns against local MLA Bijay Singh on Saturday.
The minister had visited the flood-affected areas to take stock of the situation. However, his visit was met with protests from a section of residents, who raised questions over the availability and location of relief camps in the affected areas.
Sarpanch Mohd Irshad alleged that the minister did not visit any relief camp during his visit and claimed that the arrangements on the ground did not adequately address the problems being faced by flood-affected residents.
“The Minister did not visit any relief camp,” Irshad alleged.
He further claimed that the relief camp intended for Ward No. 11 was being operated in Ward No. 5 instead. According to him, residents of some severely affected areas were yet to receive adequate relief arrangements.
Irshad specifically referred to Ward No. 17, claiming that the area was completely surrounded by floodwater.
“In Ward No. 17, not a single house has a dry spot. It is all surrounded by water. Yet, no camp is being operated there,” he alleged.
The sarpanch also made allegations against local MLA Vijay Singh, claiming that residents faced opposition when they raised their demands. He alleged that the MLA had threatened not to allow soil to be excavated.
“When the matter was raised with Vijay Singh, he flatly threatened that he would not allow the soil to be excavated,” Irshad alleged.
He further claimed that residents were being threatened when they sought compensation for losses caused by the floods.
“We are met with threats when we make legitimate demands for compensation,” he said.
Irshad also alleged that the minister turned back halfway through his visit and did not listen to the concerns raised by local residents.
“The Minister turned back halfway. He did not listen to the concerns of my people,” he said.
Responding to the protest and allegations, Minister Pramod Kumar Chandravanshi rejected the suggestion that the entire public was opposed to his visit or dissatisfied with the government’s response.
The minister said that the protest was not representative of the flood-affected public and alleged that certain individuals were attempting to defame the government and incite people for political interests.
“It wasn’t just opposition. There were certain elements that have taken it upon themselves to defame the government and incite people,” Chandravanshi said.
He claimed that despite attempts to incite the public, people generally found the situation and government arrangements to be in order.
“Yet, even after their attempts to incite, the general public found everything to be in order,” he said.
The minister maintained that those protesting were specific individuals pursuing their own political interests rather than representatives of the flood-affected population.
“It wasn’t the public. It was specific individuals trying to serve their own political interests,” Chandravanshi said.
He further claimed that people who were actually affected by the floods were satisfied with the government’s response.
“The people actually affected by the floods are satisfied,” the minister said.
This comes as Bihar grapples with severe flood with areas like Katihar being one of the worst-affected areas.
More than 90 panchayats and several urban areas in Katihar's adjoining district, Bhagalpur, remain severely flooded, with inundation disrupting road connectivity and movement across the region.
This has occurred amid heavy rainfall and rising water levels in several parts of the state, with flooding reported across multiple districts in recent days.
NH-80 on the Bhagalpur-Patna route has remained shut near Bhavnathpur for the past five days as floodwater, nearly two feet deep, continues to flow across the road.
Floodwaters have also reached the newly constructed Munger-Mirzachauki four-lane highway, slowing traffic and forcing commuters to navigate through risky conditions.
The continued flooding has severely affected movement across several parts of Bhagalpur, with major road routes facing disruption due to rising water levels.