Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 6 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia and a Special Homeguard job for a kin of the flood victims ahead of her two-day visit to North Bengal.

Sharing an X post, CM Banerjee announced that she, along with her Chief Secretary, will visit North Bengal today.

Mamata Banerjee wrote, 'Today we are leaving for North Bengal. I will be staying there for two days to see the rescue and restoration works there. My Chief Secretary is accompanying me; the DG of Police has already gone there. Ministers and public representatives have been sent and mobilised in different affected parts of North Bengal, particularly in the more damaged areas.'

'While death cannot be compensated, we shall give Rs 5 lakh to the families of each deceased, and a Special Homeguard's job to a kin in each such family as a special gesture,' she added.

She added that the police and administration are conducting rescue operations in the affected areas, and community kitchens have been established to provide support.

'Police and administration have been doing rescue and restoration operations in all affected areas. Community kitchens have been opened, distressed people are being given all-out support. Tourists are being safely evacuated, and where hotel accommodation is to be arranged, that will be done at our cost. North Bengal State Transport Corporation and our other transport organisations are mobilising streams of special Volvo and long-distance buses for evacuating the stranded tourists,' the Chief Minister wrote.

'I shall visit some areas in North Bengal today and tomorrow, and our administration will reach out all humanitarian help to all those affected by the flood in each place,' she added.

Furthermore, Mamata Banerjee criticised the Centre for allegedly failing to conduct proper dredging and desilting in the Ganga-Hugli river.

She wrote, 'If the Central Government did its job of dredging of the Ganga-Hugli river at several critical points, and if DVC did its desiltation works which it is not wilfully doing, if their dams and barrages were not so used in this manner against us, and if central government money was spent for the necessary public works in Bengal rather than squandering funds away in other unrelated pursuits, our people would have been spared of the man- made flood that we are facing in large tracts of North and South Bengal in this season.'

'Our own Irrigation works and check dams, etc, have been useful in arresting the damage in many areas. We are there, always, every moment. Sharing some photos showing our police, fire brigade and disaster management officers and men in rescue operations at this moment,' the X post read.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference in Kolkata, CM Banerjee said that 500 tourists have been rescued in 45 buses.

'We have rescued all tourists. One person is missing in Diamond Harbour; except for him, we are bringing 500 tourists today. We have already brought tourists in 45 Volvo buses. We have arranged accommodation for 250 people in Siliguri, while we are bringing 500 people in Volvo buses, North Bengal State Transport buses... All tourists are safe... The police have also started a community kitchen,' the Chief Minister said.

At least 18 people were reported to be killed in Darjeeling as in incessant rain that wreaked havoc in West Bengal's north on Saturday night and early Sunday, the district authorities confirmed on Monday.

The authorities noted that 11 people were killed in heavy rains in the tourist town of Mirik till October 5. In Jorebunglow, four people were killed, while in Sukhia Pokhari, two people were killed, and in Darjeeling Sadar, one person passed away in the heavy rain that battered the state. (ANI)