Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday assured Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar that the Centre will provide assistance for the 18 flood-hit districts. Floods have wreaked havoc in Bihar and claimed over 100 lives so far.
The prime minister discussed the situation in a telephonic conversation with Kumar and expressed his concern. "The prime minister has offered all central assistance to Bihar," said a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Shivraj Patil, along with United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, undertook a day-long tour of Assam and Bihar on Tuesday to get a first-hand account of the damage.
The prime minister has asked Home Minister Shivraj Patil to brief the Union Cabinet on Thursday about the flood situation and the relief operations in these states.
Crops valued at over Rs 130 crore, besides public and private property worth over Rs 175 crore, have been damaged in the floods.
