Subrata to seek CM's nod to involve MGNREGA labourers for repair of embankments

KOLKATA: State Panchayats and Rural Development (P&RD) minister Subrata Mukherjee will propose to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for involving labourers under MGNREGA for repair and reconstruction of the embankments in different parts of the state that have been ravaged by the dual effect of incessant rain due to the cyclonic storm Yaas and the phenomenal surge of the sea and the rivers during spring tide.

"I sincerely feel that my department has an important role to play at a time when there has been flooding and inundation in several parts of the state due to the effect of Yaas and spring tide that struck the state on Wednesday and the effect was there till Thursday. I will propose some immediate measures that I believe should be undertaken at this juncture to the Chief Minister," Mukherjee said.

Apart from urging the involvement of labourers under MGNREGA in building and repair of the damaged embankments, the minister will also seek the nod for construction of the damaged houses under the Bangla Awaas Yojana scheme. The department is also eager to join hands with the state Forest department and take up plantation of trees and restoration of forest cover including mangroves .

The minister who will go to his office at Panchayat Bhavan in Salt Lake on Monday afternoon has plans to hold a meeting with senior officials of his department and take their opinion before submitting the proposal to the Chief Minister.

Repair and building of damaged embankments has already started in South 24-Parganas and East Midnapore district.

"There has been breaching and damage of embankments at 23 places mainly at Shyampur II block in Bagnan Howrah, two places in Hooghly and 13 points at Nayachar island. Work has already begun in these places too as these require immediate intervention considering the extent of damage," state Irrigation minister Saumen Kumar Mahapatra said. Nayachar islands though geographically located in East Midnapore can be reached easily from Kamalpur in Howrah, an official in the Irrigation department said.

The district administration in South 24-Parganas has already started repair work on a war footing of breached embankments at Ramgopalpur under Masjidbati gram panchayat(GP) in , Canning, at Hedia in Canning II, at Ramchandra khali GP in Basanti, at Nurpur in Diamond Harbour I Block, at Radharanipur in Jyotishpur GP under Basanti police station, at Dulki in Gosaba, at Pakhirala in Gosaba, to name a few.