'Bihar yet to get rehabilitation package for flood victims'

New Delhi, May 31 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today attacked the Central government saying the state is yet to receive money for rehabilitation of last year's Kosi flood victims.

Kumar said he again wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a week ago making seven demands, including special rehabilitation package for Kosi victims and special status for Bihar.

He also dismissed statements that he has not sent any proposal to the Centre for rehabilitation saying, "a detailed proposal was sent in October last year".

Kumar also flayed the Centre for twisting facts to deny money for relief and rehabilitation of the flood victims.

"In April this year, we got a letter from the Centre, which said that it found that we already had surplus money in our calamity relief account and hence we owed only Rs 500 crore to the Centre. So rest of the over Rs 1000 crore given to us for relief work should be returned," Kumar said.

The Centre had given a fund of over Rs 1000 crore to the state government for relief work. Later, the state government had also demanded a separate package of Rs 14, 800 crore for rehabilitation of the flood victims.

Source : SamayLive