West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee reacted sharply to Union minister of state Babul Supriyo’s various allegations after he visited the cyclone affected areas of South 24 Parganas.
Supriyo, a parliamentarian of the Bharatiya Janata Party, visited the cyclone-hit areas of South 24 Parganas on Wednesday. On reaching there, the union minister claimed that Trinamool Congress workers were “hiding” rice and lentils and had brought these out and started cooking khichuri as soon as they saw him.
Supriyo had faced “go back” slogans from some people who, he alleged, were Trinamool Congress workers. He had said that funds under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana had not reached people there through the state government and that’s why people had to live in kutcha houses. Had they lived in pucca houses, they would not have been rendered homeless by the cyclonic storm Bulbul that hit West Bengal coast on Saturday.
Supriyo alleged that no MLAs and MPs from the Trinamool Congress had visited the cyclone-hit areas. Referring to the CM’s aerial survey of the affected areas on Monday, Babul Supriyo said that if the CM had to understand the distress of people in cyclone-hit areas, she should do a ground survey and not visit in a helicopter.
Banerjee had in fact held two administrative meetings in various cyclone hit areas and met people in the area and handed over a cheque to the family of a person who died during the cyclone.
The union minister went on to ask that if the state BJP wanted to set up relief camps in the areas, would it be allowed by the Trinamool-led state government?
Banerjee reacted sharply to these allegations, saying that anyone keen on extending help to the distressed people were welcome, but it would be better if they helped by offering relief materials instead. Referring to Supriyo’s comments on the state’s relief efforts, Banerjee said that Trinamool Congress could have played a better game of politics if they wanted to, but this is no time to play politics over relief issue.
She blamed the Centre for not paying the state its due Rs.17,000 crore, which was hampering the state’s relief efforts. Some other funds due from Centre are also falling short this year due to the ongoing economic slowdown, Banerjee said.
