Mamata announces financial help for treatment of fire victims

Kolkata, Nov 22 (UNI) Even as nine people were burnt alive and 12 batling for life in the hospital today, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee sanctioned money for the treatment of the injured from her own fund, alleging lack of help from the state government.

Nine people were killed and 12 critically injured when a leather factory caught fire in the Topsia region of East Kolkata, trapping the workers inside.

Talking to the mediapersons today evening, Ms Banerjee alleged that the state government was not taking proper care of the burnt and injured.

'' The injured are not getting proper treatment at Chittaranjan medical college and hospital because they don't have a proper burn unit. I have asked the hospital authority to do the arrangements to send the patients to either Shambhu Nath Pandit hospital or Bangur Hospital, where there is facility to tackle the problem, '' she said.

'' I am sanctioning money from my MP Local Area Development (LAD) fund for this purpose, '' she added.

Ms Banerjee further stated that the government had been ''lukewarm'' to her repeated requests of comprehensive plan for overcrowded areas of the city.

'' We have repeatedly asked the governmnet to create a comprehensive plan for Topsia, Rajabajar, Khidderpore, Tiljala and Burrabazar, but nothing has been done. The places do not even have passage for ambulance or fire brigade movemnet, '' she said.

'' We are trying to locate the owner of the factory for proper compensation, '' she said adding the party was also trying to raise money to help the victims.

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