KOLKATA: The Opposition parties in West Bengal came down heavily on Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee for politicising the flood situation, which has affected more than 60 lakh people in the state.
The state government has banned all relief work by organisations other than those undertaken by the government agencies, though, majority of the people, who were displaced from their homes as a result of the floods complained that they had not received any relief yet.
Mamata has convened an all-party meeting at Nabanna, the State Secretariat, on Thursday. She is also scheduled to go to New Delhi next week to seek financial package from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the flood ravaged state.
Mamata, who has been monitoring the flood situation by staying put at Nabanna, hit out at the Opposition parties alleging that they were trying to derive political gains at the cost of the affected people.
She also admitted that the "situation was out of control".
Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly and CPM State Secretary Surjyakanta Mishra said, "Her locality at Kalighat is waterlogged and probably that is why she was forced to spend nights at Nabanna."
State Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury MP alleged, "The Chief Minister is enacting a drama by spending the nights at Nabanna while her government is failing to provide minimum relief to the people. Even in place where the relief had reached it was being distributed only to the TMC workers many of whom were not affected by the floods at all."
BJP national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh alleged, "Even at the time of natural calamity, Mamata cannot give up her arrogance. Few days ago she had said her government will not beg for money. This was a very unfortunate comment during crisis when several lakh families are affected by the floods in West Bengal."
"Before making these insensitive statements, Didi should have acknowledged that the Central government via State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for 2015-16 had allocated `516 crore in which the Central share is 75 per cent and state share is 25 per cent. Moreover, the Centre has already released `193.50 crore as first instalment and the second one is being released soon. The Centre is committed to release additional funds through the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) if the state government claims more damages," he said.