UP government yet to send report on floods: Centre

Accusing the Uttar Pradesh government of not taking the flood situation seriously, Union Minister of State for Coal Sri Prakash Jaiswal on Tuesday said the state had not sent any report to the Centre regarding the calamity.

"The UP government has not sent any report to the Centre in regard to the floods caused by rivers starting in Nepal, nor has it sent details of the marooned villages in various districts," Jaiswal told reporters.

The minister visited the flood-hit areas of Basti, Sant Kabirnagar and Siddhartnagar in UP, and later took part in a function organised by local Congress Member of Parliament Jagdambika Pal.

Jaiswal hit out at the UP government saying neither Chief Minister Mayawati nor her ministers had visited the flood-hit areas.

"Even the relief commissioner has not visited these areas."

Jaiswal said the state's attitude towards the floods has been similar to the interest it had taken during the drought situation.

"It was only after the agriculture minister made a statement in Parliament that the state sent a report on the drought conditions to the Centre," he said.

"It is required that the state must start relief work immediately and send its teams to help the affected people," Jaiswal said, adding that in case a demand is made by the state, the Centre would look into it.