Bengal floods: CM Mamata Banerjee blames DVC, BJP claims state failed to use relief funds

By Madhuparna Das

KOLKATA: Even as flood waters are yet to recede in Bengal, political parties have started the blame game over rehabilitation and relief of flood victims, especially with the approaching assembly polls.

While CM Mamata Banerjee has criticised the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for the recent floods in Bengal, BJP claimed that the state government has failed to use the ‘flood relief funds’. “Bengal is suffering because of DVC, which is overflowing. Dredging is necessary.

DVC needs to modernize and dredging needs to be done. DVC is releasing excessive water and I had spoken to Piyush Goyal on this,” said Banerjee.

However, the top BJP leadership claimed that the state government had received all that’s necessary for flood prevention and relief, but had failed to use the funds properly.

“Bengal government did not use the flood relief fund allotted by the Centre, and the state did not submit any utilization certificate. Now, the ruling party is claiming that the flood situation has gone beyond control, but the Centre had offered all kinds of assistance, ” said Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP central leader in charge of Bengal.