Tue Oct 14 23:51:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:

**West Bengal CM Accuses Political Rivals of Exploiting Flood Relief Efforts in North Bengal**

**Kolkata, October 15, 2025** – West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has launched a scathing attack on political opponents, accusing them of exploiting the recent flood disaster in North Bengal for political gain. During a visit to relief camps in the Darjeeling district on Tuesday, Banerjee asserted that certain individuals, particularly from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), were “bringing politics” into flood-affected areas like Dhupguri and Maynaguri, demoralizing local residents with mere “photoshoots” instead of offering genuine assistance.

Banerjee emphasized that her government is focused on rebuilding houses, clearing roads after landslides, and providing relief without any central government assistance. Her remarks came after an attack on BJP MP Khagen Murmu and MLA Sankar Ghosh earlier this month while they were visiting flood victims.

The floods, which struck North Bengal on October 5th, claimed over 30 lives. Banerjee has visited the region twice since the disaster. During her recent visit, she distributed financial assistance and job appointment letters to the families of landslide victims. Each affected family received ₹5 lakh, and one family member of each deceased victim was offered a Special Home Guard post. The state government has pledged to reconstruct damaged houses with ₹1.2 lakh in financial assistance per house.

The West Bengal government has also appealed to the public to contribute to the West Bengal State Disaster Management Authority (WBSDMA) Fund. Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has contributed ₹1 lakh to the fund and has called on others to contribute as well.

Banerjee has described the floods as a “man-made tragedy,” claiming that excess water released from rivers in Bhutan and Sikkim caused the devastation. She has also called on Bhutan to provide compensation to West Bengal for the disaster.

Read More