Teesta flash flood 2023: Union Budget skips Bengal, including GTA

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 23 July 2024, Darjeeling: While the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in the Teesta River attracted a special assistance package for the state of Sikkim, the same flood wreaking havoc in Bengal, left the state high and dry in the Union Budget with no financial assistance being announced. This has triggered criticism from different quarters with questions being raised on the disparity.

Reacting to this, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated: “They make tall claims and make promises during elections but after they get votes, they forget Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik. People in the Hills should remember this. Let Sikkim get things, we have no objection but keeping Darjeeling deprived is not right.”

Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitaraman announced a special assistance of Rs 11,500 crore for ‘rehabilitation and irrigation projects and monetary assistance for flood affected states such as Bihar, Assam, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.’ Making a mention of Sikkim, the Union Finance Minister stated: “Recently, Sikkim witnessed devastating flash floods and landslides that wreaked havoc across the state. Our government will provide assistance to the state.”

A Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) from South Lhonak Glacier in North Sikkim had caused widespread devastation in Sikkim along with Kalimpong, Darjeeling and downstream Jalpaiguri districts on October 4, 2023. According to the National Emergency Response Centre of India (NDMI), in the October 2023 Teesta disaster, there were over 100 deaths and over 70 missing individuals. Around 4,500 were evacuated. Around 90,000 people were affected. Additionally, about 2 000 houses were damaged along the Teesta in the states of Sikkim and Bengal.

“The GLOF did not stop at Rongpu (the settlement in Sikkim bordering Bengal). The decision to provide special assistance to Sikkim and ignore the contiguous affected areas of Bengal is proof that politicians are unaware of the ground reality. It is sheer mockery of disaster management. They cannot play politics with people’s lives,” stated Prafulla Rao of Save the Hills, an NGO working in the arena of landslides.

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) had pegged the financial losses at more than Rs 250 crore and had urged the government to declare it as a ‘disaster’. Along with the Kalimpong district under the GTA, Jalpaiguri district was also badly affected owing to the flash flood.

“Four times we ensured the victory of BJP candidates from this region. However, they have done nothing for us. This is clear evidence of their neglect for the Gorkhas. If the Hill populace still does not realise, there will be more suppression in future. This is also a clear failure of the BJP MP of Darjeeling, Raju Bista, who has even failed to convince his own government. He only makes tall claims when he is in his constituency but fails to translate anything into action. This has been clearly demonstrated today. 

The Central team visiting the flood affected areas of our region was also a mere eyewash,” stated Anit Thapa, Chief Executive GTA and president, Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha. “The NHPC projects and the Sevoke-Rangpo Railway lines have been wreaking havoc in the young Himalayas here, triggering landslides. I have raised these issues a number of times in the Parliament but the Union government has preferred to turn a deaf ear,” alleged Shanta Chettri, former TMC Rajya Sabha MP.

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has questioned why the Bengal government has not declared Teesta floods as “disaster” till date, adding: “State disaster would have enabled the Bengal government to spend up to 10 per cent of the annual allocation under State Disaster Response Fund to support the victims.”

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/teesta-flash-flood-2023-union-budget-skips-bengal-including-gta-572951