Disaster politics played out in north Bengal as the people of the region affected by the devastating floods of the last weekend went on to pick up their lives amidst promises and assurances from the ruling parties in the state and the centre.
“Wasn’t Mahakumbh a disaster? Was it declared a disaster? The death toll in landslides in Uttarakhand was never declared. The double engine government is running. Even if someone dies in floods and landslides, it is recorded as an accident (over a bridge),” Mamata said on Tuesday afternoon, on the second day of her north Bengal tour since calamity struck the region and claimed lives, livelihoods and infrastructure.
“Similar incidents have happened in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka. We never politicised those incidents. One government and one party are being targeted,” added the chief minister.
The accusation from Mamata was not confined to a comparison of disasters in other states and Bengal.
“Look how these states dealt with disasters and how we deal. They (Centre) do not provide any financial assistance for flood control and natural disasters,” Mamata reiterated her claim.
Rejecting Mamata’s claims, the ministry of Jal Shakti said the ministry had released more than Rs. 1,290 crore to the Bengal government under flood management programmes and was also in talks with the Himalayan country Bhutan over managing trans-border rivers.
Mamata had blamed the tiny Himalayan country and the other Himalayan neighbour of Bengal, the state of Sikkim for allegedly releasing water that compounded with the heavy rainfall and brought the entire region to a halt.
The ministry clarified at a recent meeting of the joint group of experts comprising officials from both the countries, a study on erosion and sedimentation of eight additional rivers entering Bengal – Hashimara, Jhora, Jogikhola, Rokia, Dhawla Jhora, Gabur Basra, Gabur Jyoti, Pana and Raidak (I and II) – was discussed.
“Water was released in 56 rivers. There are 14 hydel power stations on the Teesta in Sikkim. The entire flow is blocked,” Mamata said, keeping with her attack on the Centre and other states for the flood and flood-like situations in both north and south Bengal.
The chief minister visited Mirik on Tuesday and assured of all assistance to the residents. On her arrival in north Bengal her first destination was Nagrakata on Monday.
“Relief materials will be provided. Work on the bridges and roads have already started. We cannot take up all at once. We will complete them gradually,” she said.
To her critics who had questioned her participation in the Durga Puja carnival held at the Red Road in Kolkata, while heavy rains pounded the five districts of north Bengal, Mamata asked, “What could I have done? Our priority was to rescue the people first. My arrival would have diverted attention and manpower on making arrangements for me and ignoring the urgent task in hand of rescue and relief.”
“What is the value of travelling in a convoy of 30-40 cars in disaster-struck areas? Does it not create pressure on the terrain? I travel with two or three cars,” Mamata said taking a veiled dig at the opposition BJP which has sent a Union minister, a former chief minister and top state leaders to the region.
The chief minister also took time to check on the injured BJP MP from North Malda Lok Sabha constituency Khagen Murmu, hit during an attack at Nagrakata on Monday. Murmu is recuperating at a Siliguri hospital.
“I have received all the inputs. He has high blood sugar. It needs to be controlled. I also wished him well and a speedy recovery,” Mamata told the media at the Siliguri hospital.
None of the perpetrators have yet been arrested.
Bengal BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya demanded a central probe into the attack.
“The Trinamool Congress is engineering attacks at various places to create a fear psychosis among people before the initiation of special intensive revision of electoral rolls,” he said. “If anyone thinks that by attacking BJP MPs and MLAs they can create fear among our workers, they are mistaken.”