“I don’t care…”, says Mamata Banerjee on DVC’s plan to move out HQ from Kolkata after Bengal floods

Amidst ongoing showdown between the Centre and the State over the devastating floods, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday claimed that she didn’t care much if Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) had shifted their headquarters out of Kolkata. Last week, she had withdrawn representations from DVC after floods had ravaged at least eight districts in the state, affecting more than 50 lakh people, for which the state government of Mamata Banerjee had squarely held DVC responsible for releasing water close to five lakh cusecs without the consent of the state government. “I don’t want an organisation that kills people, causes this kind of devastation. They didn’t consult the state before releasing so much of water. Poor people are suffering now. If Centre wants to remove DVC, let them do it. I didn’t care. They have shifted several offices out of Bengal. There is no point keeping a building in Kolkata when they don’t want to listen to people of Kolkata, release water inundating villages and killing people”, Banerjee said in Bolpur on Tuesday after the administrative flood review meeting with district officials.

The chief minister also claimed that 28 people have lost their lives in the floods and the next of the kin were given Rs 2 lakh compensation money by the state government. Her statement came days after two Bengal government officials resigned from the board of DVC including state Power secretary Santanu Basu. Mamata Banerjee had previously written two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention and financial assistance for the flood relief and rehabilitation work. One of the two letters got a response but not from the office of the Prime Minister. Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil on September 21, a day after Banerjee’s first letter to the PM, had responded and claimed that the state government officials were consulted before the release of water. However, Banerjee in her second letter to the PM had countered the Union Minister and rebutted with the details of every communication between state and DVC, including the time and date and the eventual consequences.

“They can not unilaterally take such decisions. This was a man made flood”, the Chief Minister added. She asked her ministers and MLAs to be there on the filed to assist people. She also urged upon her MLAs and MPs to use their respective funds for the rebuilding of damaged roads and villages.