Daijiworld Media Network - Katihar
Katihar, Sep 13: A Bihar minister and a ruling JD(U) MLA faced protests from flood-affected residents during their visit to flood-hit areas of Katihar district on Saturday, officials said.
State Mines and Geology Minister Pramod Kumar Chandrawanshi and Barari JD(U) MLA Bijay Singh visited flood-affected areas and relief camps under the Barari Assembly constituency to assess the situation.
However, flood victims allegedly gheraoed the minister and MLA near Mohna Chandpur village, raising concerns over inadequate facilities at government-run relief camps. Protesters also raised slogans such as “MP-MLA Go Back” and accused the local MLA of discrimination in the distribution of relief materials.
Chandrawanshi, a BJP MLC and the minister in charge of Katihar district for overseeing government schemes, and Singh were unable to pacify the protesters despite efforts by the District Magistrate and other officials. They subsequently returned to the district headquarters and held a meeting with officials.
Sarpanch Mohd Irshad, who was present at the protest, alleged that the minister did not visit any relief camp during his tour and claimed that arrangements for flood victims remained inadequate. He also questioned the location of relief camps.
According to Irshad, the relief camp designated for Ward No. 11 was functioning in Ward No. 5, while severely affected areas such as Ward No. 17, where houses remain surrounded by floodwater, had not been provided with a relief camp.
The sarpanch also accused MLA Bijay Singh of opposing residents’ demands and alleged that the legislator had threatened local residents against soil excavation. He further claimed that residents seeking compensation for flood-related damage were intimidated by the MLA and his supporters.
The minister rejected the allegations, claiming that the protest was politically motivated.
“A section of people intended to defame the government and incite unrest for political gain. No common people were involved in the protest,” Chandrawanshi said.
He maintained that the protesting group represented specific political interests rather than the flood-affected population and claimed that people genuinely affected by the floods were satisfied with the government’s response.
The confrontation comes as Bihar continues to face severe flooding, with Katihar among the worst-affected districts. Around 8.23 lakh people across seven blocks of Katihar district have been affected by the floods.