News India Five years on, hundreds of Bihar flood victims await homes

Five years on, hundreds of Bihar flood victims await homes

Madhepura: Over five years after their houses were washed away by the Kosi river in the worst floods in Bihar in half a century, Karee Devi and Ramji Das - and hundreds of others like

Mahender Yadav said that as per the latest BAPEPS audit, 89.69 percent of the over Rs.350 crore in grants remained unutilised in 2011, while 87.13 percent of the funds remained unutilised in 2012.

"It shocked us that state government is shouting for more financial assistance from the centre but the fact is that the government failed to utilised available funds," he said.

He pointed out that state government has already decided to take a loan of $750 million from the World Bank for the second phase of works after failing to get assistance from the centre.

The Janata Dal-United government in Bihar set up a one-man commission in September 2008 to probe the cause of an embankment breach in the Kosi river that triggered the floods, killing at least 250 and rendering nearly three million people homeless. It is yet to submit its report.

The victims are hoping the commission's report, when it comes, will bring them justice.

Yadav said that flood victims are facing hardships as thousands of acres of cultivable land that was flooded is still covered with sand.

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