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A child and a duck amid the ruins of the fire-ravaged Maheshtala slum. Picture by Bibhas Lodh
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Calcutta, March 17: Mamata Banerjee today dubbed a fire at a Maheshtala slum a “small incident”, even though 1,200 people were rendered homeless and 700 huts gutted.
The slum dwellers alleged that the Trinamul chairman of the local municipality had conspired to set the huts on fire because he was “eyeing the plot”. Dulal Das, the chairman of the Maheshtala municipality who is the father-in-law of Calcutta mayor Sovan Chatterjee, denied the allegation.
In the afternoon, Mamata said: “A small incident of fire happened in Maheshtala.” The chief minister said the government would arrange for “relief and rehabilitation” of those affected.
A youth alleged: “The chairman’s (Das) supporters often threaten us and ask us to leave the place.”
In the police complaint, the slum-dwellers named a “chairman” and eight others.
Das said: “Why would I conspire to set the slum ablaze?”
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