Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara: The officials of Bhojpur district administration leave the relief centres during night though the District Magistrate had ordered them to remain present there to attend the flood affected people even during night. They remain present during day hours only when the DM makes surprise visit to these centres.
When this reporter visited some of the relief centres on Saturday night not a single officer was seen there and the flood affected people were seen sleeping under open sky with cattle. At Badaki Singhai centre on Ara-Sariaya main road, Shanichar Nat was crossing the knee deep flood water along with his two year old daughter Basanti to go to Ara Sadar Hospital for the treatment of his daughter as no doctor was available at the camp. Ajit Yadav was seen coming from Ara with food for his family on a boat at about 11.30 pm to the same camp. The tap of the only water tank was out of order. At least one hundred men, women and children have taken shelter at this relief centre with their cattleheads.
Hundreds of people were seen sleeping under open sky on roadside at Dhundhua Mor and Laxmanpur villages. They said that they were not given food, water, polythene sheets and medical help so far. They said that they were feeling giddiness and some of them were suffering from high fever but the district administration had not sent even a single doctor to examine them.
Altogether 300 people have taken shelter at Kayamnagar-Gyanpur relief camp under Barhara block but they are spending sleepless nights there. The DM had deputed three employees under the supervision of Block Agriculture Officer (BAO), Rajesh Kumar, and had asked them to remain present there round the clock but neither these employee nor the BAO were found at the camp around 11pm on Saturday. Mangaru Sah and Raj Kishore Chaudhary said that they were served food in the morning but nothing was given to eat in the evening. A differently abled Krish Bind said that no lavatory has been arranged at the camp and no one is there to take care of them during nights.
At Bindgawa relief centre, about 400 persons and at Semara under Barhara block at least 150 persons have taken shelter. They were served food mostly once a day. Sukanti Devi said that she and others dared not to sleep in nights due to fear. She had no milk for her newly born child and they had not taken bath for the last ten days. The people at the centre said that they had to purchase food and water from far off villages. They also said that all of them were suffering from different kinds of diseases but not a single doctor came for their treatment and added with the fall of evening all the officers and employees leave the camp.
The Bhojpur DM said that he had got information regarding dereliction of duty by the officials and explanation is being sought from them and action will be taken against such officials soon.