Bengal government gets revenue from TLDP III and IV, Darjeeling, Kalimpong get only devastation: Raju Bista

PRASHANT ACHARYA, EOI, SILIGURI, OCTOBER 25, 2023 :  Darjeeling MP Raju Bista during his recent visit to Teesta villages has assured for possible support to help the survivors of Sikkim and Bengal to get back on their feet at the earliest. 

He has said during his meeting with Union Home minister Amit Shah he had updated about the ground situation and realities facing the people of Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Sikkim region. 

The Home Minister had told him: “"It is our collective responsibility to stand with the people of Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Sikkim during these challenging times, and we are doing so. The Centre will do everything possible to provide all necessary support to help the survivors to get back on their feet at the earliest." On Friday last Bista met with the people in Reyang, Bangey (Nazok), 29 Mile, Geil Khola and other places. 

The survivors shared how they managed to escape just in time, carrying their children to safety amidst the roaring waters of the Teesta River. The devastation caused by the flash flood has left the families in dire straits. 

“It is shocking that the West Bengal Government is yet to designate the Teesta tragedy as a "disaster" officially. Official designation of "disaster" would enable the West Bengal Government to spend up to 10 percent of the annual allocation under the State Disaster Response Fund to provide support to the victims of this Natural Disaster. 

For West Bengal, the SDRF allocation for 2023-24 is Rs 1189.60 crores, out of which Rs 892 crore is Central contribution, and Rs 297.60 is the contribution of the State Government. The West Bengal government can use Rs 119 crore to help the Teesta Flood victims,” Bista has said. 

“The West Bengal government is currently appropriating over Rs 600 crore annually from the two NHPC Dams, Teesta Low Dam III situated near Rambi (Nazok) and Teesta Low Dam IV situated near Kalijhora. 

The entirety of this fund is appropriated by the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Cooperation. 

Even though the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration is supposed to get a share of the revenue, or the people from the GTA region are supposed to get subsidized electricity, the West Bengal Government has not shared any revenue or electricity with the people of our region. 

This means, over the past decade, the West Bengal Government has derived over Rs 5000 crores in revenue from the NHPC dams constructed in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills, while we have received nothing, other than devastation,” Bista has said