Centre Rebuts Mamata’s Claims, Cites ₹1,290 Crore Flood Aid and Indo-Bhutan Efforts

In a blistering rebuttal to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's fiery accusations of "discrimination" in flood management, the Centre unveiled a robust defense on Tuesday, spotlighting over Rs 1,290 crore in aid disbursed to the state and robust Indo-Bhutan collaborations to combat trans-border deluges. The sharp exchange comes just a day after Banerjee's impassioned plea for an Indo-Bhutan River Commission, amid the wreckage of torrential rains that have claimed at least 28 lives in north Bengal's landslides and floods, leaving villages marooned and rescue teams battling swollen rivers.

Banerjee, surveying the devastation firsthand during her Monday visit to Siliguri and Darjeeling, didn't hold back, branding the catastrophe "man-made" and pinning the blame squarely on the Centre's alleged neglect. "The Centre ignores our cries for an Indo-Bhutan River Commission, leaving north Bengal to drown in recurrent floods," she thundered in a social media post, flanked by images of collapsed bridges and submerged tea estates. She further alleged a complete freeze on flood management funds and the abrupt halt of the Ganga Action Plan, claiming, "Without joint action on rivers like Teesta and Jaldhaka, our people pay the price with their lives and livelihoods."

The tragedy's scale is staggering: Over 300mm of rain in mere hours on October 4-5 triggered landslides that obliterated entire hamlets in Mirik, Darjeeling, and Kalimpong, burying homes under mudslides and sweeping away the iconic Dudhia Iron Bridge over the Balason River—killing at least two families in their sleep. In Jalpaiguri's Nagrakata, flash floods isolated remote Dooars villages, stranding hundreds of tourists and prompting the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration to shutter scenic spots indefinitely. At least six remain missing, with fears mounting as remote hill pockets await NDRF teams amid blocked National Highway 10. Banerjee announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia per family and home guard jobs for kin, but her barbs at Delhi overshadowed the relief rollout.

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Enter the Ministry of Jal Shakti, which swiftly countered via X, dismissing Banerjee's narrative as "misinformation" and laying out a litany of proactive measures. "India and Bhutan already collaborate seamlessly through the Joint Group of Experts (JGE), Joint Technical Team (JTT), and Joint Experts Team (JET) to tackle erosion, siltation, and flash floods plaguing north Bengal," the ministry asserted, noting West Bengal officials' active participation. At the 11th JGE meet in Paro last month, eight more Bhutan-fed rivers—including Hashimara Jhora, Jogikhola, and Raidak—were flagged for joint hydrological studies, with Kolkata tasked to lead detailed assessments by year's end.

The Centre touted upgrades to Bhutan's observation network for sharper flood predictions, insisting no flood project proposals languish in Delhi's corridors. "Rs 1,290 crore stands released under the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP)—a lifeline for embankments, dredging, and resilient infrastructure," officials emphasized, challenging Banerjee to account for utilization amid past critiques of delays in schemes like the Ghatal Master Plan.

On the Ganga front, the ministry shredded claims of abandonment: "62 projects worth Rs 5,648.52 crore hum under Namami Gange in Bengal—31 sewerage upgrades, 30 ghats and crematoria revamps, plus the flagship Tolly Nullah rejuvenation in Kolkata." This multi-pronged push, they argued, underscores a "committed partnership" with Thimphu and Kolkata, far from the "stepmotherly treatment" Banerjee decried.

The spat underscores deepening Centre-state fault lines, especially with 2026 polls looming, where flood woes could sway voters in flood-prone Bengal. Opposition voices, including BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, piled on, accusing the TMC of "politicizing tragedy" while neglecting local preparedness. As rescue ops grind on—evacuating 500+ from Darjeeling's hills—and forecasts warn of more rain, the ministry reaffirmed its "active engagement," urging Banerjee to channel energies into on-ground synergy rather than social media salvos. In a state where floods have razed Rs 17,000 crore in assets over five years, the battle for credit—and accountability—rages fiercer than the Teesta in spate.

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