“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.

“I am updating Mukherjee constantly. Now state Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta has approached Mukherjee for funds. The Centre will be sending a team to assess the situation. But where are the boats to carry relief material? Most of the boats have been submerged. All this so-called relief work by the government is just for media coverage.”

He said despite a directive from the Centre to set up disaster management headquarters at the district and block levels, nothing has been done.

“Had there been some planning it would not be necessary to beg for Central funds. So many houses are yet to be rebuilt after the 2008 floods. Where is that money? The government had the money but it didn’t spend it. This is utter callousness,” Bhuniya added.