West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today blamed water released from Bhutan for the recent massive disaster in North Bengal and said Bhutan should compensate for the damage. Speaking to the media at Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri district, the chief minister said, “This disaster happened because of Bhutan’s water. They must compensate for the damage.” During her visit, Banerjee walked through the flood-affected areas, personally surveyed the damage, distributed relief materials, and handed out job appointment letters to one family member of each deceased victim. After returning to Kolkata last Wednesday following an initial assessment of the situation, the chief minister returned to North Bengal yesterday. She toured several affected areas in Alipurduar and then proceeded to Nagrakata today morning. Her first stop was Bamonbari, where she handed out appointment letters for government jobs to seven individuals. Assuring full support, Banerjee said the state government would compensate all local losses incurred due to the disaster. Speaking at Bamonbari, the CM reiterated her long-standing demand,”We’ve been asking for the formation of an Indo-Bhutan River Commission that includes Bengal as a member. This entire incident happened because of the water released from Bhutan.” She then criticised the central government, saying, “We have to do everything ourselves. Delhi doesn’t give a single rupee.” She also revealed that, following pressure from the state, the Centre has scheduled a meeting on October 16 to discuss the issue.
A state official will represent Bengal in the meeting, although the exact agenda remains unclear. “We’ve given Rs 5 lakh each to the families of those who died. We also promised a job to one family member, and today, those appointment letters are being handed over,” the chief minister said after handing over job letters to one of the family members of the deceased.
She added that a temporary iron footbridge has been constructed at the site where villagers previously crossed using a damaged bridge.
Additionally, the state has pledged to rebuild homes destroyed in the disaster. Farmers whose agricultural land has been damaged will receive crop insurance payouts. The government will also arrange special camps for those who have lost or damaged their official documents in the floods. Once individuals submit a list of lost documents, the government will provide certified copies or duplicates.
