Mamata loses cool over woollen distribution lapse

Chief Minister halts the event midway, pulls up officials on the dais and gives them an earful on accountability

Mamata Banerjee greets people at KalitalaSamsernagar of Hingalganj on Tuesday after offering puja at the Bonbibi temple. : Picture by Pashupati Das

Snehamoy Chakraborty   |   TT  |   Samsernagar (North 24-Parganas)   |   30.11.22 : Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday lost her cool over a case of logistical mishandling at a public programme in Bengal’s remotest rural pocket, halted the event midway, pulled up officials on the dais and gave them an earful on accountability.

There were loud cheers from the audience every time the chief minister admonished the officials at Samsernagar in the Sunderbans.

“Any mistake the government makes, I am held guilty… even when I know nothing of it,” she told the audience.

Mamata was angry as around 15,000 items of blankets and warm clothing she wanted to distribute at the event had been left 26km away — with a river in between — at Hingalganj by the North 24-Parganas district administration.

When the chief minister learnt that the consignment was lying at the Hingalganj block development office, she pulled up North 24-Parganas district magistrate Sharad Kumar Dwivedi over the act of alleged irresponsibility.

In full view of the audience, she ordered the district magistrate to make arrangements to bring the consignment to the venue at the earliest. The chief minister then proceeded to sit down on the stage, refusing to continue with the programme till it was brought.

“If it isn’t here, then what is the point of this event? I came here (mainly) for the distribution,” she told the district magistrate and chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi, who was trying to pacify her.

“I will sit here and wait till it’s brought for distribution. You stay seated, I, too, will remain seated,” Mamata told the audience, which cheered again.

“I am sorry, but I will have to act in case district magistrates, inspectors-in-charge and block development officers don’t properly fulfil their responsibilities.”

The confusion came not long after the start of the event, when Mamata asked whether the Duare Sarkar initiative was properly underway there and loud nays were heard from countless members of the audience. 

To defuse the situation, the officials arranged for 1,000- odd woollens from nearby for immediate distribution, while trying to explain to the chief minister that bringing the Hingalganj consignment could take 2.5 hours.

After staying seated for 17 minutes from 1.02pm, the chief minister again rose to resume the programme. She delivered the woollens arranged for by the district magistrate among 300-odd people.

“It does not sit right, not being able to distribute what I brought for you… after I spent days getting 5,000 sweaters, 5,000 shawls, and 5,000 blankets for you...,” said the chief minister.

“I wanted to give them directly, not through anybody else. I did not expect this of you (district magistrate Dwivedi).”