Reiterating her stand that cyclone relief funds be given directly to the district magistrates of affected areas, Union Railways Minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee said her demand that funds should not be given to the Left Front government for disbursal was rooted in the mantra given by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Facing ire for her demand from the CPM, whose Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said the Trinamool’s opposition to the Bengal government had reached “absurd levels”, Banerjee said,“ Rajiv Gandhi suggested that money should go directly from the PM to the DMs, who will distribute this among the gram panchayats.”

The Bengal government has sought Rs 1,000 crore from the Centre towards disaster relief and rehabilitation in the wake of the devastating cyclone that hit the state on May 25. Last week, Banerjee said it would be a mistake by the Centre to route the relief funds through the state government, as it would be siphoned off by its functionaries and little would reach the affected people.

Banerjee, who is expected to leave for Delhi on Monday morning, said she would monitor the disaster relief situation from there. “All the Trinamool ministers are working in the affected areas. Some have submitted their reports to me, the rest are expected to do so soon. Together with the reports from the zilla parishads and the DMs, the data will be submitted to the Centre to work out the relief package,” she said.

She lambasted the state government for its slackness in tackling the situation, saying if the government had done its job, there would be no need for the Trinamool to involve itself to this extent. “I have heard that the chief minister had to face angry villagers in Gosaba today. The public agitation is prompted by the situation, which is turning worse by the day,” Banerjee said.

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