Mamata Promises High School for Forest-Surrounded Kherkata Village Amid Flood Relief Efforts

Agencies,  Jalpaiguri, October 13, 2025:  On Monday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the flood-affected regions of Tondu and Bamandanga in Jalpaiguri, where she not only reviewed relief operations but also made a significant promise to the residents of Kherkata village. In her visit, Banerjee assured the villagers that a secondary school would be established in Kherkata, a remote village encircled by dense forests. Currently, children in Kherkata must travel through the forests, covering a three-kilometer stretch, to reach the nearest high school—a daunting and often dangerous task, especially during the monsoon season.

During her visit to Bamandanga, Banerjee met with the affected residents and handed over appointment letters for Special Home Guard positions to the families of eight deceased individuals from Nagrakata and two from Mathabhanga, who had tragically lost their lives in the recent floods. She then conducted a thorough inspection of the relief camps, checking on the well-being of the affected residents.

At Tondu camp, Banerjee personally interacted with the displaced people, listening to their concerns and providing reassurance. It was there that Anwara Bibi, a resident of Kherkata, explained the challenges the village faced. The community has only one primary school, and children are often too scared to make the perilous journey through the forests to attend secondary school. In response, Banerjee promised to discuss the issue with the Education Minister and said she would work towards upgrading the existing primary school to a secondary school. “The children are too afraid to cross the forest to attend the high school. It would be good to establish a secondary school here,” the Chief Minister assured.

During her visit, Banerjee also engaged with the children at the relief camps. In one heartwarming moment, she picked up a crying child from the camp and comforted the little one, remarking: "Just as I love children, they love me very much too."

The relief efforts were further enhanced with a special meal provided to flood victims. At Bamandanga and Tondu, nearly 8,000 affected residents were served a hearty feast, which included rice, meat curry, two types of vegetable curries, fried items, and chutney. For many, such meals were a rarity. Seeta Oraon, a resident from Model Village, expressed gratitude for the food, saying, “We don’t have regular earnings. I can’t even remember the last time I had meat and rice. After the flood on Saturday, we didn’t get proper food for the first few days. Today, we got to eat meat and rice to our heart’s content.”

Banerjee's visit underscored the government's commitment to providing both immediate relief and long-term support to the flood-hit communities, with a focus on education and rebuilding the lives of those affected.