Mamata promises 24x7 relief ops during visit to landslide-hit Mirik, slams opposition

Darjeeling (WB), Oct 14 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday visited landslide-hit Mirik in Darjeeling district, met affected families, and said her government has mobilised all departments to ensure round-the-clock relief and rehabilitation operations across north Bengal.

A total of 32 people have lost their lives, 27 of them in Mirik and Darjeeling alone, and thousands have been rendered homeless in the devastating floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain earlier this month. This was Banerjee's second visit to the affected region since the disaster.

She also charged opposition parties with playing politics over "people's sufferings".

During her visit, the chief minister met the families of those killed in the calamity and in a recent vehicle accident in the area, assuring them of all assistance from the administration.

"I met the families of the two people who died in the vehicle accident. They have already been given Rs 5 lakh each," Banerjee said, addressing local residents at Mirik.

Praising government agencies for their prompt response, she said, "You have seen how quickly the PWD cleared Mirik roads. Every stretch affected by landslides has been cleared. For that, I would like to give full credit to the civil administration, police administration, and all departments involved." The CM said her government's focus is not just on immediate relief but also on long-term rebuilding and rehabilitation.

"Those who were affected have been given both compensation and jobs within just seven days," she said, adding that a review meeting has been convened on Wednesday to assess "what we did, where we went, and what actions were taken." Banerjee also announced plans for tourism development in the hills. "We want to develop a beautiful tourism spot inside Pashupati Mandir and Sukhia, something like Lamahatta. It would be an eco-tourism destination," she said.

The TMC chief, who has been touring the affected districts for the past few days, said she had personally monitored the relief and rehabilitation efforts across north Bengal.

In an X post, she said, "Day before yesterday, I visited Hasimara in Alipurduar, and yesterday, I travelled to Nagrakata, Chalsa, Mal, and Kurseong, meeting affected families, interacting with officials, and overseeing the ongoing restoration work on the ground." Denying reports earlier in the day that she had skipped Mirik, Banerjee took a veiled dig at critics, saying, "A few people are spreading false news to demoralise others. Even now, they say I am not visiting Mirik. How would they know? are they God?" Earlier in the day, a senior bureaucrat had told PTI that Banerjee skipped her scheduled visit to Mirik and she was likely to hold a review meeting with BDOs in Kurseong, both in Darjeeling district.

"Initially, the CM was scheduled to visit Mirik on Tuesday, but she will instead hold a review meeting with block development officers (BDOs) at the Jorbanglow BDO office in Kurseong. The meeting will focus on the progress of relief and recovery operations in the affected areas," the bureaucrat had said.

She also accused the opposition of playing politics over people's suffering.

"Some people are doing politics over Dhupguri and Maynaguri. Let me clarify, on the very day I visited the Mirik bridge, I, along with (senior leaders) Aroop Biswas, Gautam Deb, and local MLA Nirmal Ray, visited all three relief camps in Dhupguri. Relief materials were distributed door to door to ensure every affected family received help," Banerjee said.

Taking a swipe at the BJP, Banerjee alleged that the Centre had no role in the state's disaster management and was instead playing politics.

"When people are in trouble, you must stand by them. Don't just sit idly and give long speeches like BJP leaders do. You came once, took photos, and disappeared. What happened after that? We rebuild houses and bridges, clear the landslides, and run relief camps and community kitchens. The Centre has no role here, they only play politics," she said.

The chief minister said special camps have been set up to help people recover essential documents lost during the floods, and health camps and community kitchens were functioning in full swing.

"We have already set up camps where you can easily get duplicates of any lost documents," she said.

Banerjee added that her government was ensuring that school students who lost their books in the disaster were being provided with new study materials.

She reiterated that the state government would remain by the side of the affected people until normalcy was restored.

"You can see with your own eyes that this is not a one-time relief effort.

Relief work is happening daily because it is our duty to stand by the people. Those who do nothing but make big claims, we are not with them," she said.

Banerjee said, "We are sorry for this natural calamity. Moreover, Bhutan has released water from as many as 56 rivers. All bridges have been washed away, and even a school has been lost." The chief minister also lauded the courage and resilience of the people of north Bengal.

Banerjee, accompanied by senior officials, is expected to hold an administrative meeting on Wednesday for Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Mirik to review the relief operations and long-term recovery measures. PTI PNT SCH ACD PNT NN