TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: Clashes over relief materials for tornado victims broke out at Sitamari village in Raigunj on Monday afternoon, forcing police to open fire. At least 30 people, including 12 policemen, were injured the violence.
Lakhs were rendered homeless by the killer twister that struck last Wednesday. Six days on, most don’t have food or even a sheet of tarpaulin to shelter under. The anger burst forth on Monday tornado victims blocked National Highway 34 and attacked local leaders and gheraoed ministers and panchayat employees.
Civil defence minister Srikumar Mukherjee and cottage industries minister Narayan Biswas had to be rescued by police in Mahajanbari of Hemtabad block. Police fought off angry villagers to rescue panchayat employees who were locked up in Rampur gram panchayat in Raiganj.
But removing the NH-34 blockade proved more difficult as the mob brickbatted police and wrecked two police jeeps. Raiganj IC Sujit Ghosh said: “When we appealed to the agitators to vacate NH-34 they started throwing stones at us. We had no option but to lathicharge.” The caning had no effect. Finally, police had to open fire, said Ghosh. Five of the injured were admitted to Raiganj district hospital.
The Congress-led North Dinajpur zilla parishad has decided to build houses for the dependents of those who died in the storm. More than 1 lakh houses were razed and another 94,000 partially damaged in the twister. District magistrate Ramanuj Chakraborty has dismissed allegations of inadequate relief...published in TOI on 20.4.10
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