Mamata berates Centre for ‘depriving’ Bengal of relief funds
Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Saturday, accused the Centre of discrimination in providing disaster management assistance in the backdrop of the recent natural calamity that struck not only Sikkim but also Darjeeling and Kalimpong in North Bengal.
The Bengal government has already given Rs 24 crore assistance to GTA in the hills but not a single penny was released by the Centre for Darjeeling and Kalimpong which were badly hit by the calamity.
“But I am stunned by the central discrimination against our affected people of Darjeeling and Kalimpong and North Bengal, despite the gravity of the disaster and number of deaths there too. We are not beggars and we are certainly for Sikkim, but we want equality of treatment and non- discrimination in matters relating to central help in disaster management,” Banerjee wrote on her Facebook page as well as in X handle.
Banerjee has been working with her entire administration to save the people in distress and reiterated the state’s commitment to work with the people of Sikkim.
“The recent disaster which has struck our brothers and sisters at Sikkim has struck my people at the Darjeeling hills and in Kalimpong also. The sensitive chicken’s neck area of West Bengal has been affected. From the night of the flash flood occurrence, I have been working 24×7 with my entire administration to save people from further distress, and have rushed in all help, including Rs 24 crore assistance to GTA in the hills. Ministers and senior IAS officers have been dispatched and teams are on spot even now. We have helped and will help the Army authorities and the Sikkim Government in all ways, and will work with the people of Sikkim shoulder to shoulder,” Banerjee‘s long post further read.
The Centre has already sanctioned Rs 44.80 crore for Sikkim from its state disaster management fund following the announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon after the flash floods. However, no financial assistance was announced for Bengal.
