Centre to provide assistance to flood-hit UP: PM Manmohan Singh

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today assured a delegation of Congress MPs and leaders from Uttar Pradesh that the Centre will provide all possible help to the flood-affected people of the state.

The delegation led by AICC general Secretary in-charge of the state Digvijay Singh apprised the Prime Minister of the problems being faced by the flood-hit people of the state and requested him to send a Central team for assessment of the damage caused.

"The situation is quite bad. 32 districts of the state have been affected. The state government is not doing what it should. So we met the prime minister and requested him to send a team...He has assured us of all possible help," PCC President Rita Bahuguna Joshi told reporters after the meeting.

She said chief minister Mayawati has been asking for Rs 2000 crore but claimed that Rs 631 crore given to the state earlier on account of drought earlier had not been spent.

Joshi demanded the state government provide immediate relief to the flood-affected people on the basis of the flood manual, compensation to the farmers for the crops damages and immediate repair of the roads.

The PCC chief also asked why water was released from Ramganga dam in the state without a warning.

CLP leader Pramod Tiwari, who was part of the delegation of MPs, said two third of the state has been badly affected and no relief was being provided to the people.

"The state government should start spending money on relief. There should be a short term and a long term plan to deal with the calamity. The short term plan of relief and rehabilitation should be implemented immediately," he said.

The situation is grim in a number of western UP districts including Farukkhabad, Shahjahanpur, Agra and Badaun.