Nitish to Accompany Sonia to Survey Flood Areas
Patna: Aug. 6, 2007
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Nitish Denies Neglect of Flood Victims
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Photo by Shashi Uttam |
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Congress President Sonia Gandhi, at the behest of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and other UPA leaders from Bihar, will visit Bihar on Tuesday to survey the flood situation in the state that has claimed over 130 lives so far and counting.
Gandhi, who will conduct an aerial survey of the flood-hit districts, will likely be followed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh though the date of his arrival is yet to be announced, Congress leaders in Patna said on Monday.
Home Minister Shivraj Patil, the Railway Minister, LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan, and Bihar Congress president Sadanand Singh will accompany Gandhi, who will arrive by a special plane at Purnia Airport at around 11:00 am.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also been invited by the Home Ministry to accompany Gandhi and other leaders to Purnia and other flood-affected areas.
"I will ask the Home Minister to provide central assistance in combating flood situation in Bihar," Kumar told the reporters.
Earlier, a delegate of UPA leaders including Yadav and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Ramchandra Paswan, met with Gandhi in New Delhi and asked her to intervene in the state's ongoing flood relief operation accusing Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of not doing enough for the flood victims, a charge vehemently denied by Kumar and other NDA leaders.
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