Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday felicitated eight frontline workers for their exceptional service in rescuing flood-affected people in Alipurduar district.

The chief minister handed over cheques of ₹10,000 each and certificates of appreciation to the awardees during a review meeting held at the Nilpara range office campus on Sunday.

Of the eight recipients, four are civic volunteers, three are from the civil defence and one is from the police.

The 30-minute review meeting was attended by senior officials, including the district magistrate and superintendent of police of Alipurduar.

During the meeting, Mamata sought details about the current condition of flood-affected areas and asked whether adequate relief was reaching the distressed families.

The chief minister also lauded the efforts of the district police for organising special camps to register general diaries (GD) of affected people and for running community kitchens in flood-hit zones.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mamata said: “It was a post-flood review meeting. In Alipurduar, the administration evacuated people immediately after receiving alerts, and I am happy that there has been no loss of life in the district. Today (Sunday), I have felicitated eight individuals from the grassroots level for their extraordinary contribution.”

Mamata added that she had asked officials to prepare a detailed report on the flood situation and submit it to chief secretary Manoj Pant.

“Various departments are compiling their reports. We have also purchased potatoes through the Sufal Bangla scheme so that farmers do not suffer losses,” she said.

After the meeting, Mamata visited the nearby Subhashini tea garden, one of the worst-affected areas in last Sunday’s floods where the Torsha river changed its course, damaging labour lines and inundating nearly 100 hectares of land
with silt.

Many residents had been shifted to a nearby primary school.

Mamata walked through the labour lines, inspected the damaged embankment and interacted with the flood-hit families.

While moving through the area, she noticed a group of women carrying firewood from the forest and asked them about its use.

The women said they were unable to afford LPG cylinders and relied on firewood for cooking.

Mamata responded: “I cannot reduce the price of cylinders, but I am always with you.”

The women thanked her, saying: “You have come to see us, we are grateful and will remember this.”

The chief minister also distributed relief materials among affected families and handed soft toys to children.

“The state government stands with you. There is no need to worry,” she told the residents.

Before concluding her visit, Mamata stopped at Hasimara Gurdwara, where she took prasad and met locals. She later proceeded to Malangi Lodge for the night.

The chief minister is scheduled to visit Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri district on Sunday.

On Tuesday, she will then proceed to Mirik and then to Darjeeling where an administrative review meeting has been scheduled. The chief minster will return to Calcutta on Friday.