Minister visits flood-hit Malda to assess damage
Malda: State’s Disaster Management minister Sujit Bose on Saturday visited flood and erosion-affected areas in Malda district, including Manikchak and Ratua, to assess damage and interact with affected residents. The visit, undertaken on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s instructions, aimed to gather ground-level feedback and evaluate the need for further erosion control measures.
Accompanied by senior district officials, including Malda District Magistrate Nitin Singhania and Superintendent of Police Pradeep Kumar Yadav, Bose inspected areas like Paschim Ratanpur in Bilaimari Gram Panchayat under Ratua-I block. TMC MLAs Sabitri Mitra (Manikchak) and Abdur Rahim Boxi (Malatipur), along with local leaders, also joined the visit. Bose spoke with distressed villagers, many of whom demanded permanent embankments made of boulders and concrete to protect against recurring erosion.
“Our government has already taken significant steps to control erosion here. But such large-scale work requires financial support from Delhi. Without that, river restoration remains incomplete,” Bose said after the inspection. “We’ll submit a report to the Chief Minister. The list of damaged houses has already been sent to the district administration,” he added.
However, the visit soon turned politically charged when BJP MP and former state president Sukanta Majumdar shared a video clip on his X handle, accusing TMC leaders and officials of turning the flood inspection into a “launch picnic.” The clip—which shows the minister and others aboard a launch with plates of food and tea—triggered widespread debate. “While people in Ratua are drowning in floodwaters, TMC ministers and officers are busy having a monsoon picnic. Is this their idea of public service or a state-sponsored joyride?” Majumdar posted.
Responding sharply, Sujit Bose rejected the accusation outright. “Where did he see a picnic? We were on duty, not a pleasure trip. The BJP has no work—they’ve already been rejected by the people of Bengal,” the minister said. “We were sent by the Chief Minister to support the people, and that’s exactly what we did. The photos and videos will speak for themselves.” As the political blame game unfolds, thousands of families in Malda continue to battle the dual threats of flood and erosion.
