Gangtok, Oct 19: The West Bengal government has taken steps to rehabilitate over 550 families who were rendered homeless due to a devastating flash flood in the Teesta River that occurred on October 4 in Kalimpong district. The government plans to conduct a survey to identify suitable areas of land for the rehabilitation of these families. A team of four Bengal ministers visited the affected areas in Kalimpong, assessing the damage caused by the flood and discussing the rehabilitation process.
The ministers, including Golam Rabbani, Sabina Yeasmin, Srikant Mahato, and Satyajit Barman, visited locations such as Teesta Bazar, Rangpo, Tarkhola, and Gailkhola during their visit to Kalimpong. They also engaged in discussions with representatives from the district administration, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, and other relevant parties.
The chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, instructed the team of ministers to assess the situation and work on rehabilitating the affected families. They have been tasked with identifying available land for the rehabilitation efforts, with a joint survey to be conducted by the district administration, the land and land reforms department, and the forest department.
Golam Rabbani, the minister for minority affairs and madrasa education, explained the mission and the importance of acquiring suitable land for the rehabilitation of affected individuals. They are exploring the possibility of utilizing land owned by the forest department for this purpose. The team received assurances from forest minister Jyoti Priya Mallick that the forest department would provide assistance and land if required.
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According to sources in the district administration, approximately 553 houses were affected by the flood, with 155 houses in the Rangpo and Teesta Bazar areas being completely damaged. As a result, around 855 people were left homeless and are currently residing in relief camps.
Following their visit, the ministerial team will compile a report to be submitted to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. They witnessed significant damage in some areas, with the river depositing silt up to 20 feet high in certain locations. The government has initiated repairs and restoration work in these areas and is concurrently working to provide land for the rehabilitation of the affected families.
Sabina Yeasmin, the minister of state for irrigation and waterways and North Bengal development, expressed her concerns regarding the lack of support from the central government. She noted that they were putting significant efforts into restoring connectivity along NH10, the primary highway connecting Sikkim and Kalimpong to the rest of the country. In contrast, she criticized the central government for not allocating any funds to aid the affected people and the region, in contrast to the support provided to neighboring Sikkim.
