Bengal Chief Minister continued to attack the Centre for the second consecutive day on Tuesday holding it responsible for the “very dangerous” situation in which the people of Joshimath find themselves today.
Drawing a comparison between the pilgrimage town of Uttarkhand and coal township of Raniganj in Asansol, Banerjee said that despite repeated requests for funds New Delhi had not paid a single penny in last one decade to revive Raniganj which too was sinking because of the mining activities carried out by the Eastern Coal Fields, a Central Government undertaking.
On Joshimath she said, “the situation is very dangerous” and held the Centre responsible for trying to bolt the doors when the horses had fled. “Why did not they take action when there were warning of possible landslides … the situation is very dangerous in Joshimath, “for which the people (of Uttarakhand) are not at all responsible… the Government should have taken steps when the alarm was raised earlier,” Banerjee said adding “the Government must take steps on war footing.
Accusing the Centre of turning a blind eye on Raniganj which too was sinking due to heavy mining by the ECL, Banerjee said, “we have beenfighting for the past 10 years … the ECL is mining on the land but no money is being given by the Centre so as to protect the township and save the people’s lives … much like Joshimath at least 30,000 peoplewill be affected as Raniganj is sinking.”
Reminding the Centre about its duties towards the people she said “it is the duty of a government to always take care of the people if there is any disaster,” “what was true to Joshimath was true to Raniganj as well”.
Raniganj lies in West Burdwan district head quartered at Asansol and is responsible for providing best quality of coal to the country.
Earlier the Chief Minister attacked the Centre for not releasing `6,000 to her State on account of rural job scheme in National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
Banerjee told an audience on Monday how the Centre was not releasingwages to the tune of `6,000 crore for the poor people of Bengal.”The people are starving but the Government is not releasing that money … they (the Centre) are not sending money but sending central teams” to realise their political agenda, Banerjee said adding by such”mean” acts the BJP would not be able to tame a tiger.
“You have seen a Royal Bengal Tiger … you cannot tame a tiger by using such trifle tactic … you cannot hold a Royal Bengal Tiger back … you may tranquilise it for a few days but you cannot restrain it forever …when it will rise it will take account of everything … the people of Bengal are watching everything and they will take account of it all,”Banerjee said.