UP neglecting Jayaprakash Narayan's village, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar tells CM Yogi Adityanath

PATNA: Four days before Union home minister Amit Shah's visit to Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan's birthplace Sitab Diara on October 11, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Friday wrote to his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath and blamed the BJP-led government in the neighbouring state for non-completion of approach road, ring embankment and other flood protection works in JP's village.
Sitab Diara, located on the confluence of Ganga and Ghaghra rivers in Saran district on the border of Bihar-Uttar Pradesh, faces danger of floods and land erosion almost every rainy season. Parts of the sprawling village lie in both the states.
Nitish, in his letter, pointed out that in order to protect Sitab Diara village from the danger of floods, the need to build a 7.5-km-long ring embankment from the side of river Ghaghra was felt. In 2017-18, works began on the construction of ring embankment and other anti-erosion works in 4-km-long area in Bihar side and the rest 3.5 km long area in UP side.
"The Bihar government completed embankment and other flood protection works on its 4-km-long part in 2017-18 itself (around five years back), but the work in Uttar Pradesh side is still pending," Nitish said in his letter to Yogi.
The Bihar CM, in his letter, also pointed out that the total length of the Bituminous Surface Treatment (BST) main embankment which connects Sitab Diara to the Hajipur-Ghazipur NH-31, is around 6.5km. "The road strengthening work on this approach road remains incomplete in length of 2 to 3km in Uttar Pradesh side. It creates problems in smooth movement of traffic in the area," Nitish said in the letter.
Nitish, who has planned to visit Sitab Diara on October 8 (Saturday) to review the development works undertaken by the Bihar government and also pay floral tributes to the Loknayak on his death anniversary, pointed out that the Uttar Pradesh government, in the past, started work to link the Sitab Diara ring embankment with the BST main embankment in the UP side, but the work remains incomplete. "Immediate linking of two embankments is necessary. The danger of floods and soil erosion lurks on Sitab Diara because of non-completion of this work," Nitish wrote.
The Bihar CM has further urged Yogi to issue necessary instructions to all the officials concerned in UP to complete the pending works so that JP's village could be saved from the danger of floods and land erosion.
Shah is scheduled to visit Sitab Diara on October 11 to address a programme commemorating JP on his birth anniversary.