Lashing out at the Left Front government for not being prepared for a natural disaster even after the devastating floods last year, senior state Congress leaders said that if the NREGA funds from the Centre had been utilised for strengthening embankments in the Sunderbans, the devastation would have been far less.

“As of March 31 this year, Rs 500 crore out of the total NREGA allocation for the state was lying unutilised. In the Sunderbans, maintaining embankments is entrusted on the gram panchayats with technical support from the Irrigation Department to be done through NREGA. In Bengal, the government has managed to give only 26 days of work. In South 24-Parganas, only 19 days of work have been provided under NREGA. The question is: why is the money lying unutilised?” Congress MLA Manas Bhuniya said.

Defending the initiatives taken by UPA ally Trinamool Congress in relief work, Bhuniya said the Left Front government should concentrate more on ensuring that disaster relief reaches the people instead of criticising Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for her efforts.

“Banerjee is a representative of the state in Delhi. Her move to send her MPs to the affected areas should be lauded. I come from a district (West Midnapore) that is periodically devastated by floods. This time, my residence has been badly damaged by the cyclone. I am busy trying to rebuild it. Disaster relief work now seems to be dependent on what transpires between the Centre and the state,” Bhuniya said.

Bhuniya said he has been sending reports on the cyclone relief situation to Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister as well.

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