TMC ministers to give Rs 1 lakh each to bolster relief efforts in North Bengal

Kolkata: On a day when the parliamentary party of the Trinamool Congress decided that all ministers in the state Cabinet would contribute Rs 1 lakh each to the West Bengal State Disaster Management Authority (WBSDMA) fund to stand by the natural calamity affected people of North Bengal, the Speaker of Bengal Legislative Assembly, Biman Banerjee, expressed his desire of sending an observer team from the Assembly to Alipurduar district to assess the extent of damage and accordingly submit a report to the state government.

State Parliamentary Affairs minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay on Wednesday sent a message to all the Cabinet ministers to contribute Rs 1 lakh each to support immediate rescue, relief and long-term rehabilitation efforts for the affected communities. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has donated Rs 5 lakh to the WBSDMA fund.

On Tuesday, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee donated Rs 1 lakh to WBSDMA fund and appealed to all to generously contribute in this regard.

Khokan Das, TMC MLA from Burdwan South, and Sukanta Paul MLA from Amta, Howrah, handed over cheques to the Speaker as contribution to the WBSDMA fund on Wednesday to stand by the natural calamity affected people of North Bengal.

MLA Alipurduar Suman Kanjilal on Wednesday met Banerjee at his chamber in the Assembly and handed over a letter, appealing to the latter to send a team from the state Assembly to the district.

“I will speak with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and I feel that a delegation should visit Alipurduar where vast tracts of farmland have been covered in dolomite affecting agricultural activities. The present situation demands that a delegation be sent to Alipurduar after discussion with the Chief Minister, “ said Banerjee.