12 injured as police opens fire in Ghoswari block in Patna; riots reported in other districts
.jpg "Flood affected people say administration is not giving them rations (File photo by Agnimirh Basu)")
The flood-affected districts of Bihar are witnessing disturbing scenes of hungry flood victims resorting to violent protests and looting foodgrains
On Tuesday afternoon police had to fire 10 rounds in the air to disperse around 1,200 flood victims demanding food and compensation at Ghoswari block of Patna. Twelve persons, including four police personnel, were injured in the incident.
Sporadic incidents of rioting have been reported in other flood-affected districts as well.
The protesters in Ghoswari were demanding immediate distribution of relief materials, especially food grains. Government officials who rushed to the spot to placate the angry people had to retreat after a group tried to attack them.
Angry residents are still camping at the protest site and have refused to return home till relief material is distributed. In their verbal complaint to the district administration, residents said they had gone hungry for 72 hours as district officials refused to distribute rations.
On Monday evening, around 1,800 flood victims went on rampage in Sarmera block of Nalanda district. Protesters laid seige to the block development office for nearly three hours. They broke open the doors of Food Corporation of India and looted around 180 sacks of rice and wheat.
Flood victims have blocked the roads for the past 48 hours. Block development officer, Surendra Prasad Sinha, said that district administration is in the process of preparing the list of flood victims in the block. “Village people want immediate relief, leading to this protest,” he added.
Similar prtotests were also staged in Noorsarai block of Nawada district where angry flood victims blocked main Biharsharif-Chandi road to protest large-scale irregularities in distribution of compensation.
People complained that government officials have a deep-rooted nexus with middle men who are providing compensation to people who are not even remotely affected by floods. Police force tried to whisk away the protesters, leading to minor scuffle.
Last week, hungry and angry flood victims blocked the airport runway in Bhagalpur district. They took their cows and buffaloes to graze on the grass along the airstrip.
Officials of Bihar government refused to comment on the spreading unrest.
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