2 members of Teesta disaster committee resign in protest against inaction

EOI, DARJEELING, 14 JUNE 2024 : Two members of the high level expert committee formed by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration following the Teesta Basin disaster in October 2023 has decided to resign; alleging the committee has failed to deliver on its objectives. 

Jiten Rai and Ruben Das Pradhan, both GTA Sabhasads from the Hamro Party, are part of an extensive committee comprising officials of the Darjeeling and Kalimpong district administrations, the GTA Principal Secretary, representatives of cinchona plantation, NHPC, IRCON and NGOs. 

The expert committee is headed by the GTA Sabha chairman, Anjul Chowhan and was formed in mid-October last year. On Friday, Rai and Pradhan held a Press conference to announce their resignation from the committee. 

"We are not satisfied with the way the committee is functioning and its work progress. It's going to be close to a year yet the committee has not prepared any kind of road map to deal with the present and future situations. 

Therefore, we feel obliged to distance ourselves from this committee," said Rai, who is the Sabhasad from the Pandam-Phoobsering constituency. 

On October 4, 2023, the South Lhonak Lake at an altitude of 17,000 feet in Sikkim experienced a rapture, as a result of continuous rainfall and consequently large volume of water was discharged in to the downstream regions causing flooding in the Teesta river and the Teesta Basin falling under the Kalimpong district. 

In the aftermath of the extensive and devastating flood disaster that displaced hundreds, GTA chairman, Anit Thapa proposed the formation of a high power committee. Consequently, the expert level committee was constituted and the first meeting was held on February 1, 2024, to address the pressing issue surrounding the Teesta flood. 

"Not a single meeting has been convened of the expert level committee till date. We submitted reminders to the GTA Sabha chairman on March 25 and April 7 but failed to get any response. As members of this committee we had hoped to contribute meaningfully to find solutions for the challenges faced by the Teesta communities. We can no longer be part of an organization that neglects its responsibilities and fails to fulfill its mandate," asserted Rai. 

According to official records 104 families had been affected by the Teesta floods and sources said compensation to the displaced were being provided. The state government has allocated Rs.25 crore for the Teesta flood but has not termed it a disaster. 

"We met the District Magistrate of Kalimpong on May 21 and on June 5 and sought details of the post-disaster work including relief and rehabilitation, mitigation and precautionary measures taken up so far. However, the DM failed to provide us any details," said Pradhan, who is the Sabhasad from Sadar IV. 

Earlier, Hamro Party president, Ajoy Edwards had highlighted the perilous conditions in which the people of Teesta basin were living in, with little or no preventive measures taken up by the GTA and with the monsoon yet to hit the region, in right earnest. 

"Now we firmly believe that the GTA is incompetent and incapable of handling such disasters. We have resigned but will work from outside to help the affected people of Teesta," said Pradhan. 

GTA officials could not be contacted for their version of the situation. Now with fresh floods threatening the Teesta basin following heavy rains in Sikkim, on Saturday a delegation of the HP will visit Teesta for relief and rehabilitation operations.