The Calcutta High Court has summoned the police investigation report on relief corruption in Amfan. The Division Bench of the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court has directed to submit the report on September 2. Significantly, after the Amfan disaster last year, there were allegations of corruption on a large scale in the distribution of relief. After this the police started investigation.
Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Rajarshi Bhardwaj also asked state Advocate General Kishor Dutt what steps have been taken by the police on allegations of corruption in relief material. How does corruption happen in a natural calamity like Amfan? In this regard, the state’s Advocate General Kishore Dutt said, the state wants to know the matter in detail and give a report. After that the court informed that the state government should submit a detailed report in this matter by September 2.
In 2020, the state government had sent five trucks of relief material to Ghoraras Kulin village to distribute relief to Amfan in Basirhat’s Block No. It was alleged that the Deputy Pramukh of the Gram Panchayat had illegally deposited the material in the godown of the house. It is learned that the villagers rescued two trucks laden with relief material from around Malatipur station. Villagers complained that relief materials were being smuggled from the area. After receiving a complaint from the villagers, Matia filed a case in the police station.
After the Amfan disaster, Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the storm-affected area. He announced financial assistance to the victims. But the chief minister complained that he left no stone unturned. Nevertheless, the state has sent relief and financial compensation to the bank accounts of the affected people. Some grassroot leaders and workers of the state have been accused of corruption in the distribution of relief. Demonstrations have started in the districts. Many Trinamool leaders-panchayat-pramukhs were expelled.
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