Ensure you are on voter list to avoid detention under NRC norms, Mamata Banerjee tells people
Kolkata, Nov 23: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday urged the people of the state to ensure that their names feature on the electoral roll to avoid getting sent to detention camps under the garb of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) implementation.
She was addressing a programme organised by the state government to distribute land 'pattas' (deed) to marginalised families from all districts.
"There is an exercise underway to upgrade voter list. Ensure your name is there on the voters' list. If there is a mistake, your name might get omitted from the list and you could be sent to detention camps in the name of NRC implementation.
"Such instances have been noted in Assam. NRC is shame, shame and shame. There is a conspiracy being hatched. Do not waste time and enroll get your name on the voters' list," Banerjee said.
The CM, taking a dig at the BJP-led Centre, also wondered why people who had been exercising their franchise to elect the country's prime minister "need to give proof of citizenship".
Referring to incidents of "forcible takeover of land by railway and airport authorities" in the past, Banerjee said, "No eviction will be allowed in Bengal without proper compensation and rehabilitation."
She asked people to stage protests if their lands are forcibly taken and assured them that the state government will be there to lend support to the cause.
"Poor people cannot be forcibly evicted from a place. I have heard that people were being evicted from some areas for flyover and highway construction work. We will never allow such use of bulldozers. Do not give up so easily, lodge protests against these drives," Banerjee underlined.
"We have identified 300 refugee colonies in the state, and its residents will be given land pattas in due course of time," she stated.
The CM also said that beneficiaries need not furnish Aadhaar card to avail financial aid under her government's 'Lakshmir Bhandar' scheme.
Without taking any name, she claimed that letters were being sent to the Centre alleging that funds are being misuses in West Bengal.
"I feel ashamed to take names of those who are writing to the Centre asking it to create an economic blockade in West Bengal. They have alleged that central funds were being misused."
Lashing out at the Narendra Modi-led dispensation, she said the central government "runs on the instructions of the party (BJP)".
"The (central) government takes instructions from the party. If the party says that it's night, they (Centre) too nod in agreement," she added.
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Vehicle carrying tendu leaves collectors falls into Chhattisgarh valley, 18 women among 19 dead
Kawardha (Chhattisgarh), May 20: Nineteen tribals, including 18 women, were killed and three others injured when a mini goods vehicle ferrying a group of tendu leaves collectors plunged into a valley in Chhattisgarh's Kabirdham district on Monday afternoon, police said.
As per preliminary information, a brake failure led to the major accident, they said.
The accident occurred at around 1.45 pm on Banjari Ghat near Bahpani village under Kukdur police station limits, Kabirdham Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava said.
The victims were returning home after plucking tendu leaves from a forest in the vehicle meant for transporting goods, he said.
As per preliminary information, when the vehicle, with 36 people onboard, was descending in Banjari Ghat (valley), the driver shouted that brakes have failed following which many male occupants and he himself jumped off, the IPS officer said.
The vehicle veered off the road, tumbled down 40 feet and crashed onto a road below the valley, the official said.
On the other side of the road where the vehicle crashed there is a 200 feet deep gorge, he said.
After being alerted about the accident, teams of health personnel from nearby Kukdur and Pandariya and a police team rushed to the spot and launched a rescue exercise, Pallava said.
"Twelve women and a man were killed on the spot, while nine others sustained injuries. Five women of the nine injured succumbed while being shifted to a hospital," he said.
The remaining four injured persons, including three women, were shifted to Kabirdham district hospital here where a woman succumbed, the SP said.
Senior district administration and police officials visited the accident spot.
A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder will be lodged against the vehicle's owner and the driver, the SP said.
The victims were natives of Semarha village and for the last one week, they were using the same vehicle while going for plucking tendu leaves (used for making 'beedis' or leaf-wrapped cigarettes), he said.
Deputy CM Vijay Sharma, who holds the Home portfolio, visited Pandariya community health centre where 13 bodies were brought for post-mortem, and also the accident spot. Post-mortem of five bodies were performed at Kukdur health centre and of one in the district hospital.
Talking to reporters at Pandariya, Sharma termed the incident as "unfortunate" and said the state government will provide compensation to the kin of the victims as per the rules.
"The victims were natives of Semarha village in the Kukdur area. They used to regularly travel by vehicle to pluck tendu leaves. They were tendu leaf collectors.. It is a very painful and unfortunate incident," he said.
Asked about the cause of the incident, Sharma said as per preliminary information, a brake failure led to the accident.
Queried about safety measures to be taken on Banjari Ghat, the Deputy CM said, "It is not a matter of negligence, it is an accident. I don't think there is a need to look for fault in this. However, there is a need to focus on the fitness of such vehicles."
"If required a probe will be conducted," he said.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the accident and loss of lives.
"The news of the death of many people in a road accident in Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh is very sad. I express my deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in this accident and wish speedy recovery to those injured," said the President in a message on social media platform 'X'.
PM Modi described the crash as extremely painful.
"The road accident that occurred in Kawardha, Chhattisgarh, is very painful. My condolences to those who lost their loved ones in this accident. I wish speedy recovery of the injured. Under the supervision of the state government, the local administration is engaged in providing all possible help to the victims," the PM said in a message.
CM Sai instructed the district administration to provide best possible medical assistance to the injured.
"Learnt about the tragic accident near Bahpani village in Kabirdham district. Necessary instructions have been given to the district administration to provide better treatment to the injured. May the departed souls rest in peace, and I express my deepest condolences to their families. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," Sai said in a post on 'X'.
STORY | 15 persons killed as mini goods vehicle plunges into gorge in Chhattisgarh's Kabirdham
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 20, 2024
READ: https://t.co/pAYrzzfcGo
VIDEO:
(Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/L1UJtZ776H
छत्तीसगढ़ के कवर्धा में हुआ सड़क हादसा अत्यंत पीड़ादायक है। इस दुर्घटना में जिन्होंने अपनों को खोया है, उनके प्रति मेरी शोक-संवेदनाएं। इसके साथ ही मैं सभी घायलों के शीघ्र स्वस्थ होने की कामना करता हूं। राज्य सरकार की देखरेख में स्थानीय प्रशासन पीड़ितों की हरसंभव मदद में जुटा है।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 20, 2024
