Mamata to visit Sandeshkhali on Dec 30 for first time since protests

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she would visit Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on December 30 to attend a public distribution programme.

This would be her first visit to the island, situated on the borders of the Sundarbans, since the area witnessed large-scale protests earlier this year over alleged land-grabbing and sexual harassment of women by local TMC leaders.

"I will visit Sandeshkhali on December 30 to attend a public distribution programme. People had asked me before the elections whether I would visit Sandeshkhali or not. I had told them that I would be going later," the CM told reporters at the state secretariat.

"This will be a government programme. We have completed several pending programmes under 'Lakshmir Bhandar', 'Banglar Bari' and other schemes. Around 20,000 beneficiaries of the area will be benefitted from various state-run schemes. I hope to hand over certificates of various schemes to around 100 people from the stage," she added.