September 21, 2011
Ms. Mamata Banerjee admired for Sikkim visit, Chamling expresses gratitude
Kolkata, September 1: Sikkim Chief Minister Mr. Pawan Kumar Chamling and people of Sikkim are in all praises for the Paschimbanga Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee who decided to visit the quake affected areas in Sikkim. As expected from Ms. Banerjee for whom nothing exists beyond humanity kept all the formality and protocol aside traveled to Sikkim. The gesture speaks in itself as rarely have we heard or seen any Chief Minister taking an initiative to visit a neighboring state and stand beside them in distress. She became the first Chief Minister of Bengal to cross the Teesta and enter Sikkim, building a symbolic bridge for handling issues emerging out of the Darjeeling hills.
After reaching Sikkim late in the afternoon, Ms. Banerjee took rounds of the hospitals where victims were being treated. The members of the Sikkim administration and the aggrieved people in Sikkim gave her a warm welcome. Paschimbanga government had already sent medical aids and food packets to Sikkim. She visited the houses that was damaged during the quake and spoke to the victims. Immediately after this the she went to meet the Sikkim Chief Minister Mr. Pawan Chamling. Ms. Banerjee assured him that her government will do everything to help the poor people who are yet to come out of the trauma of devastating earthquake.
Paschimbanga Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee was the first to express her solidarity to the people of Sikkim and assured the Sikkim Chief Minister of all cooperation required in the time of distress and said she would visit the place. The very next day Ms. Banerjee who decided to travel to quake affected areas across North Bengal announced her visit to Sikkim. An aggrieved Ms. Banerjee for whom nothing exists beyond `humanity` said on Monday after reaching Siliguri on Monday, `I am planning to visit the areas if possible tomorrow provided my visit doesn't obstruct in the way of rescue operations, besides it will take nearly three to four hours to reach the place and considering the poor roads my going via air will certainly hamper the relief operations. However, everything depends on the situation tomorrow when I will decide whether to proceed to Sikkim`. However, Ms. Banerjee on Tuesday morning decided to travel to Sikkim ignoring the bad roads.
An earthquake measuring 6.8 on Richter scale rocked Mangan in Sikkim and adjoining areas on Sunday evening causing severe damages to life and property. The situation grew grave due to the incessant rains that followed after the quake resulting in the delay of rescue operations across the affected regions.
