Amid complaints of shoddy distribution of relief among victims of cyclone Aila, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had to face angry mobs today at Gosaba in South 24-Parganas, where irate villagers even roughed up a local official accompanying him.

Sensing the public outrage, the chief minister said he was not happy with the relief work there before cutting short his visit and hurrying back to Kolkata.

“I am not happy with the relief work going on here. The people are suffering and complaining. I assure you we will provide you with help,” the CM said at Bijoygarh Adarsha Bidyamandir, a school-turned-relief camp in Bally Gram Panchayat (GP) under Gosaba block.

Out of 14 GPs in Gosaba block, nine are badly hit and nearly 60,000 families are affected. Worst-hit areas include Amtakli Kumirmari, Chotomollahkhali, Lahiripur, Satjelia, Bally I & II, Kochuakhali, Gosaba, Rangabelia. Though the official death toll is three, locals put it at 20. One person is missing, officials said.

While the chief minister seemed at wits’ end, his officials were booed. Gosaba BDO Amiya Bhushan Chakrabarty was even assaulted by an irate mob. Bhattacharjee himself rebuked the local officials and left Gosaba a little ahead of schedule along with Minister for Sunderbans Development Kanti Ganguly and Irrigation Minister Subhas Naskar.

Earlier in the day, the CM faced an angry mob at the BDO office in Basanti where he had to step down from his car to placate the locals. “I understand your pain. I have sent relief already. I will send more,” he told them.

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