Patna: A three-member team of Left parties MPs today (July 22, 2004) termed the prevailing flood situation in Bihar as 'grim' and demanded that the current spell of floods in the State should be declared as 'natural calamity' and asked the Centre to sanction more assistance to Bihar for undertaking relief and rehabilitation work.

Three Left party MPs after making an aerial survey of flood affected districts of North Bihar told reporters in Patna, after meeting the state Chief Secretary K A H Subramanian that the flood situation in North Bihar was grim and demanded that the State Government should announce waiving off the interests on loan taken by the farmers for agricultural work.

The three Left party MPs who made an aerial survey of the flood affected districts were Mehbood Jahidi, Alkesh Das and Pramod Das.

They said the matter of Bihar floods would be raised in parliament tomorrow (July 23, 2004) demanding more Central assistance for flood-affected people of Bihar.

Meanwhile, according to official sources, the Prime Minister is likely to make an aerial survey of flood-affected districts of Bihar on July 27.