Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 19 : West Bengal Assembly Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari hit out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and said that the government did not work at all on pre-monsoon work and infrastructure in the last three years adding that the precautionary measures ahead of monsoons were not taken.
Suvendu Adhikari said, "Pre-monsoon work has not been done for the last three years. This is a flood-prone area. The government did not work at all on infrastructure in the last 3-4 years. The government is busy with only two things- appeasing the 30 per cent population for vote bank, and poll distribution (distributing money during the election). Mamata Banerjee government has finished irrigation in the state, which has affected nearly 15-20 lakh people. Mamata Banerjee has failed as the CM. Our embankments are breaking one after the other. Precautionary measures ahead of monsoons were not taken."
He further said that when the excess water is released from Jharkhand then there is a committee called Damodar Valley River Regulation Committee DVRRC.
"In DVRRC there are representatives from the West Bengal government. The water release has been going on for the last 100 years. Before water is discharged from DVC there is a protocol such as taking permission from the West Bengal government and evicting people to safe places. DVC did all these activities. CM is roaming in affected areas for photo op. People do not have clean drinking water." he added.
He said that part of Bankura, Hoogly rural, Part of West Midnapore, a small part of East Midnapore, and a part of Howrah are affected by floods.
Adhikari further said, "The only solution is that Mamata Banerjee should step down. The priority to tackle the flood situation is the involvement of the NDRF and providing relief to the victims. She has stopped all relief work and is roaming around for photographs."
Earlier West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee visited the flood-affected areas in Howrah and Panskura in Medinipur on Thursday and put the blame on the Centre's negligence for failing to carry out dredging at DVC (Damodar Valley Corporation), which she said released water resulting in floods in several districts of the State.
She said that the DVC released more than 5 lakhs of water despite her request.
Banerjee said, "This has never happened before. We conduct meetings from time to time. I personally called the DVC chairman. I requested them not to release too much water. Our state is boat-shaped. In North Bengal floods occur due to water from Nepal and Bhutan. And here floods occur due water from Jharkhand. In Malda, floods occur due to water from Bihar and dredging not taking place in the river Ganga. DVC has released more than 5 lakh cusecs of water."