West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday visited flood-hit Mirik in Darjeeling district, met affected families and inspected damaged homes. Banerjee announced that all families who lost their homes in the floods and landslides will receive financial assistance of Rs 1.2 lakh under the state government’s Banglar Bari scheme. She also held an administrative meeting with local officials at Sukhiapokhri to review relief and rehabilitation work in the region. There, she said, "Some people are doing politics over Dhupguri and Maynaguri. Let me clarify, on the very day I visited the Mirik bridge, I, along with Arup Biswas, Gautam Deb, and Nirmal Ray (the MLA of that area), visited all three relief camps in Dhupguri. Relief materials were distributed door to door to ensure every affected family received help… Earlier, when cyclones and flash floods hit Maynaguri and Dhupguri, I personally visited and spoke to the affected people. So, to those who are only trying to demoralise people, I’d say, help the people instead of distressing them." At least 30 people have been killed and thousands left homeless in landslides and floods in the northern districts of West Bengal since October 4, following heavy rain. Criticising the BJP, she said on Tuesday, "You came once, took photos, and disappeared, what happened after that? We rebuild houses and bridges, cleared the landslides, and ran relief camps and community kitchens. The Centre has no role here—they only play politics. A few people in North Bengal are spreading false news to demoralise others. Even now, they are saying I’m not visiting Mirik. How would they know—are they God?" In a post on X, the Chief Minister wrote that she has been “personally monitoring and reviewing the relief and rehabilitation efforts underway”. She said that she had earlier visited Hasimara in Alipurduar, and later Nagrakata, Chalsa, Mal, and Kurseong, to meet affected families, interact with officials, and oversee restoration work. Banerjee said she would convene an administrative meeting on Wednesday for Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Mirik to review the next phase of rehabilitation. During her visit to Nagrakata, Banerjee said she interacted with residents at the Bamandanga and Tandoo relief camps to ensure uninterrupted food, shelter, and medical facilities. She also inspected the repair work on the Tanatani Bridge over the Gathia River, damaged in the flash floods, and reviewed the Kalikhola Bridge which was “restored by the Public Works Department”. She added, "At the Bamandanga relief camp, I had the opportunity to hand over appointment letters for Home Guard employment to the family members of flood victims as part of our comprehensive rehabilitation initiative. Ten beneficiaries, including eight from Jalpaiguri and two from Cooch Behar, received their letters today. I have also announced that every family whose house has been damaged in the calamity will receive financial assistance of Rs 1.2 lakh for reconstruction under our State scheme." The Chief Minister claimed that the government has mobilised all resources for continuous relief operations, setting up special camps to help citizens recover documents lost in the floods and providing new study materials to affected students. Food kits, disaster management supplies, and other essentials are also being distributed across the affected areas. Banerjee further added, "Natural calamities are beyond our control, but our compassion, preparedness, and collective resolve define our response. The courage, grit, and perseverance of the people of North Bengal continue to inspire me. Our State Government will remain by your side, every hour, every day, until normalcy is fully restored." A day ago, on Monday when she was visiting Nagrakata, Banerjee claimed that the deluge in North Bengal was caused by water flowing down from neighbouring Bhutan, and demanded compensation from both the Central government and the Himalayan Kingdom.
