Kolkata: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who was on a Durga Puja inauguration spree on Wednesday, announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased who died in Tuesday’s electrocution. She pinned the blame for the electrocution deaths on private power utility CESC, the water-logging due to the flooding of the Hooghly river due to water flowing in from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar; the lack of dredging at Farakka Barrage and the water release to DVC-Maithon and Panchet.
The CM’s blame game was no assurance to citizens, who were reeling under drinking water scarcity since Tuesday and power cuts as many areas of the city are still under water, especially South Kolkata’s posh Ballygunge Place, Behala’s Shakuntala Park and central Kolkata’s College Square.
Banerjee, during her first puja inauguration in Bhawanipore on Wednesday morning, claimed that whenever “it rains in Bihar, Jharkhand and UP, the water comes to Bengal, resulting in the Hooghly river overflowing. Even when there is rain in Jharkhand, water levels rise here. How do I manage the water from so many states?”
“Kolkata Port, Farakka Barrage, DVC's Maithon have not done dredging. There was no dredging work done in Farakka for the past 20 years. DVC is a central government organisation. Water is released from Maithon and Panchet. We have to take care of everything,” Banerjee said. She also claimed that no dredging was done by the Kolkata Port.
“Our government announces an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh and jobs to a member of the family, if CESC does not give jobs. CESC should pay Rs 5 lakh as compensation. It is the responsibility of the CESC and the deaths happened due to their negligence," Banerjee said.
“Tuesday’s rain was more than in 1978. This kind of rain had never happened earlier. Calamities of this nature are witnessed in all cities –– Delhi, Mumbai, and now in Kolkata. There were cloudbursts in Himachal and Uttarakhand. It is raining as if there is no end to the monsoon,” Banerjee said.
“There was high tide till Tuesday. I have been working round the clock from Monday. However, people should also have civic sense and refrain from throwing plastics into the drains leading to clogging,” Banerjee said.
“Metro work is going on in Salt Lake. We have told the Metro authorities to remove the construction material. It is creating problems,” she said.
“Water levels have receded significantly, although the Ganga experienced substantial flooding. Except for a few low-lying areas, most of the water has drained. Nature is beyond our control. For those who lost their lives due to electrocution, the state government will provide Rs 2 lakh to their families. While money cannot replace lives, we will ensure that employment is provided to the next of kin, even if CESC fails to do so,” Banerjee posted on X.
LoP Suvendu Adhikari said, “It is the fault of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and state administration. There was an orange alert in place. I will give Rs 2.5 lakh to the deceased people's families and urge people not to take compensation from the state."
Suman Roy Chowdhury, spokesperson of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, said, “In the city, where 10 people lost their lives due to electrocution, and life is yet to be normalised, Trinamool leaders, including the CM, are busy inaugurating the festival in pavilions...Not even a day has passed, after the deaths and the CM has started celebrating the festival.
Former BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said there is a clear attempt to shift the blame by CM on others.
BJP’s Bengal co-incharge Amit Malviya posted on X, “Not even 24 hours since Kolkata was drowning and 11 people were electrocuted to death, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee found it appropriate to indulge in revelry and play dandiya during a Durga Puja inauguration in Bhawanipur’s Chakraberia. How insensitive can one be? Mamata Banerjee is the very epitome of it."
The CM’s blame game was no assurance to citizens, who were reeling under drinking water scarcity since Tuesday and power cuts as many areas of the city are still under water, especially South Kolkata’s posh Ballygunge Place, Behala’s Shakuntala Park and central Kolkata’s College Square.
Banerjee, during her first puja inauguration in Bhawanipore on Wednesday morning, claimed that whenever “it rains in Bihar, Jharkhand and UP, the water comes to Bengal, resulting in the Hooghly river overflowing. Even when there is rain in Jharkhand, water levels rise here. How do I manage the water from so many states?”
“Kolkata Port, Farakka Barrage, DVC's Maithon have not done dredging. There was no dredging work done in Farakka for the past 20 years. DVC is a central government organisation. Water is released from Maithon and Panchet. We have to take care of everything,” Banerjee said. She also claimed that no dredging was done by the Kolkata Port.
“Our government announces an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh and jobs to a member of the family, if CESC does not give jobs. CESC should pay Rs 5 lakh as compensation. It is the responsibility of the CESC and the deaths happened due to their negligence," Banerjee said.
“Tuesday’s rain was more than in 1978. This kind of rain had never happened earlier. Calamities of this nature are witnessed in all cities –– Delhi, Mumbai, and now in Kolkata. There were cloudbursts in Himachal and Uttarakhand. It is raining as if there is no end to the monsoon,” Banerjee said.
“There was high tide till Tuesday. I have been working round the clock from Monday. However, people should also have civic sense and refrain from throwing plastics into the drains leading to clogging,” Banerjee said.
“Metro work is going on in Salt Lake. We have told the Metro authorities to remove the construction material. It is creating problems,” she said.
“Water levels have receded significantly, although the Ganga experienced substantial flooding. Except for a few low-lying areas, most of the water has drained. Nature is beyond our control. For those who lost their lives due to electrocution, the state government will provide Rs 2 lakh to their families. While money cannot replace lives, we will ensure that employment is provided to the next of kin, even if CESC fails to do so,” Banerjee posted on X.
LoP Suvendu Adhikari said, “It is the fault of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and state administration. There was an orange alert in place. I will give Rs 2.5 lakh to the deceased people's families and urge people not to take compensation from the state."
Suman Roy Chowdhury, spokesperson of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, said, “In the city, where 10 people lost their lives due to electrocution, and life is yet to be normalised, Trinamool leaders, including the CM, are busy inaugurating the festival in pavilions...Not even a day has passed, after the deaths and the CM has started celebrating the festival.
Former BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said there is a clear attempt to shift the blame by CM on others.
BJP’s Bengal co-incharge Amit Malviya posted on X, “Not even 24 hours since Kolkata was drowning and 11 people were electrocuted to death, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee found it appropriate to indulge in revelry and play dandiya during a Durga Puja inauguration in Bhawanipur’s Chakraberia. How insensitive can one be? Mamata Banerjee is the very epitome of it."
You may also like
Man, 62, dies after horror crash on M60 as police urge drivers to come forward
Celebrity chef Rick Stein's restaurant set to close five years after it was saved from going under
Giriraj Singh congratulates Col. Purohit on his return to active service following Malegaon case acquittal
Seven banks to slash savings account interest rates starting today - full list
Bihar: Women in Bagaha happy as they will get first installment of Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana
