22/10/2023
Office of Raju Bista
Press Release
22nd of Oct, 2023
Continuing with my outreach to meet with the Teesta tragedy survivors, today, I visited the survivors who are living in relief camps set up in Bhalu Khola in Kalimpong District, at Rangpoo Forest Village - Dewan Primary School, under Sangsay Gram Panchayat under Lava Development Block, Tarkhola Relief Camp, under Kalimpong District, and the Teesta Bazar Community Hall Relief Camp.
Our focus now is to ensure that these survivor families are settled in their new home at the earliest, so that they can get back to normalcy, after the horrific ordeal they have had to survive.
I will be doing everything in my power to help these families get back on their feet.
As I was interacting with the survivors at Rangpoo, some individuals apparently associated with the ruling party in the hills, who are not even locals from Rangpoo or the Teesta Highway were asking me, as to what has the Central govt done.
I want to remind them that, out of a total budget of Rs 1189.60 crores allocated to the WB Govt for the Financial Year 2023-24, towards the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), the Central govt has already handed over their share of Rs 892 crores to the WB Govt. This fund is with the WB Govt, and they can release Rs 118.96 crore for disaster relief for the Teesta tragedy survivors. Even if the WB Govt does not want to give their share, they can at the least, release Rs 89.20 crores of Central Contribution for disaster relief in Teesta.
In addition to Rs 892 crore for SDRF, the Central Govt has also immediately sanctioned Rs 20 crore for the restoration of the National Highway - 10, which is the lifeline for the people impacted by the Teesta floods.
Moreover, the WB Govt claimed to have handed over 25 crores to the GTA. The GTA can easily use that fund to construct 500 homes worth Rs 5 Lakh each to help these families, why isn't GTA already doing so? What is preventing them from using these Rs 25 crores?
I am doing my duty to the best of my abilities, and will continue to derive funds from the Centre for helping our people and region, I hope that those who are in power locally and in the state, who get access to the funds sent by Centre will also work with equal dedication and sincerity in disbursing these funds and making use of them to help the Teesta survivors.
Raju Bista
Member of Parliament, Darjeeling and
National Spokesperson, BJP
