Five years on, hundreds of Bihar flood victims await homes

He said that in one panchayat alone, the names of 1,800 flood victims figure in the list of the rehabilitation and reconstruction project but nothing has been provided.

Yadav, who is also convener of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), said that as per the government's project, 100,000 houses were to be constructed in the Kosi region comprising Madhepura, Saharsa and Supaul districts but only 12,500 were erected."

According to the state government and the World Bank, 236,632 houses collapsed in the Kosi floods.

Bihar Planning and Development Minister Narendra Yadav that the rehabilitation project was slow and had got delayed.

"Till now, only 14,000 houses were completed and construction work is under way in different stages for about 50,000 houses. We hope to complete them as early as possible," Narendra Yadav told IANS.

"Earlier this month, I have reviewed the project and asked the officials concerned to speed up the work and complete it by August," he added.

Narendra Yadav said that the work was delayed due to several reasons. "In the flood- prone Kosi region, no work takes place for nearly five months in a year and the list of beneficiaries has been revised more than once in the last five years," he added.