West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to convene all-party meeting to discuss flood situation

KOLKATA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has convened an all-party meeting on August 8 at the state administrative headquarters at Nabanna to discuss the steps her government has taken to tackle the floods in West Bengal.

Twelve of the 20 districts in the state have been affected by the recent floods and more than 80 people have lost their lives.

Opposition leader and CPI (M) politburo member Surjya Kanta Mishra had written a letter to the chief minister last week and urged her to hold an all-party meeting to discuss the flood situation in the state and involve all political parties in the government’s initiative to distribute relief materials among the victims.

Later, Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader in the state assembly, Mohammad Sohrab, also wrote to the chief minister and urged her to hold an all-party meeting. Sohrab also asked Banerjee to set up block-level committees comprising representatives from all political parties to monitor the relief operation being carried out by the government.

The decision to convene the meeting came a day after Banerjee, on August 4, said she had sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during her visit to Delhi for two days from August 11. She also said that she will seek funds from the Centre to help the flood victims and urge the PM to waive loans of the farmers who had lost their homes and paddy due to the flood.