"People are tired of your PR event": BJP's Suvendu Adhikari slams CM Mamata Banerjee over flooding in state

Sep 18, 2024

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 18 : West Bengal Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over floods in various districts and said that the CM is holding Centre, Jharkhand government and the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) responsible while she herself is an "utter failure."
In a post on X, Adhikari said that CM Mamata Banerjee your ploy and strategy to shift blame is getting old and repetitive.
"Every time around this time you utter these words - 'Man-made Flood' and try to hold the Central govt, the Jharkhand govt, and the DVC responsible for floods in West Bengal. However, the truth is that you and your Irrigation & Waterways Department are an utter failure. Neither you have taken any preventive or precautionary measures before the monsoons nor you have taken any steps to boost the infrastructure to tackle the annual problem," he said.
The BJP leader also mentioned that the World Bank approved Rs 5000 crore loan to the state government to build and operate new irrigation structures such as flood walls, river embankment armouring, desilting the adjoining rivers, creating small-scale storage structures, creek rehabilitation, digging canals, etc., to manage the flood situation in the Lower Damodar Basin area.
"75% of the funds have been drawn. What is the result?" Adhikari asked.
"The result is that every time Bardhaman, Bankura, Hooghly, Howrah, Paschim, and Purba Medinipur get flooded and you see it as a photo session opportunity to reach the spot with a 50 vehicles convoy and start blaming others for your inefficiency," he added.
Suvendu also asserted that the people are tired of CM Mamata's "PR event."
"Ask your Administration to help people in need and at least make arrangements for baby food, drinking water, and dry food items. Shift people from the submerged areas on a war footing. Set your ego aside and seek assistance from the Army & NDRF. And for God's sake, in this hour of need please don't distract the Administration by getting them involved in making arrangements for your photo session trip. Let them help the people in distress. You can do your job better from the Secretariat," Adhikari said on X.
Earlier, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also posted on X about her visit to several flooded areas.
She said, "Vast areas of South Bengal are inundated today by huge amounts of water without DVC. Bengal is being flooded by the waters of Jharkhand. Three and a half lakh cusecs water has been released from DVC. So much water has never been released before. This man-made flood is being planned in Bengal. I have spoken to DVC myself. I spoke to the Chief Minister of Jharkhand."
"Today I inspected the flood situation on the ground in Purshura, Goghat-Arambagh area of Hooghly and Ghatal in West Midnipur. Talked to flood-affected people. I will go to Panshkura tomorrow. Our government stands by the flood-affected people for any need. I have given the necessary instructions to the administration in this regard," CM Mamata added.