Congress asks Centre to declare North Bengal devastation as national disaster

Amid the haunting aftermath of landslides that scarred North Bengal’s lush hills, West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar on Tuesday, 7 October, urged the Centre and the state to rise above politics and declare the calamity a national disaster, calling for united action to rebuild lives and restore hope.

Leading a delegation of senior Congress leaders to the worst-hit regions, Sarkar emphasised that a special financial package from the Centre was essential for comprehensive rehabilitation and compensation measures.

“Only then can proper rehabilitation and compensation be provided to those affected,” Sarkar said, after touring the affected areas.

The Congress leader said the West Bengal government should convene an all-party meeting to discuss coordinated disaster management efforts and ensure that political differences do not come in the way of relief operations.

“The Centre must declare this devastation a national disaster and announce a special package. It is high time for both the TMC and BJP to work in cohesion at this hour of crisis, forgetting their political differences. We must all come together to fight for the cause of the people,” he said.

Accompanied by senior Congress leaders Partha Bhowmik and Ashutosh Chatterjee, Sarkar travelled through several landslide-affected areas on the way to Mirik, speaking with local residents and assuring them of assistance during the crisis.

According to party sources, the West Bengal Congress has already formed a dedicated committee to coordinate disaster response and extend relief to affected families in North Bengal. Sarkar is expected to submit a detailed report on his findings to the party’s central leadership.

Over the past week, torrential rains in North Bengal triggered a series of landslides and flash floods, resulting in the deaths of at least 30 people and leaving several others missing. Many roads remain blocked, and rescue operations are ongoing as authorities work to reach isolated villages cut off by debris and waterlogging.

With PTI inputs