Officials lax in flood relief may be sent to jail, warns UP minister

Lucknow, July 28 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav on Thursday said officials must be proactive in helping the flood affected people in the state and warned that any negligence could even land them in jail.

Talking to reporters in Siddharthnagar district after doing an aerial survey of the flood hit regions, the minister directed officials to step out of their offices to help people marooned in villages and bring relief to them.

"The state government will not hesitate to act against lax officials; if need be they will also be sent to jail," Shivpal Singh said.

He was accompanied by state assembly speaker Mata Prasad Pandey.

Officials said many rivers in the eastern parts of the state were in spate, leading to flooding of many villages. Ghaghra, Rapti, Sharda and Saryu rivers are surging in many places where a large number of people live.