Flood victims beat up, heckle minister

Narayangarh, West Midnapur, Jun 28 (UNI) For the second time in a week a state minister was heckled and even beaten up by angry flood victims demanding adequate relief in the district today.

Minister for Health and Panchayat Surjyakanta Mishra was heckled and beaten up by the people in his own constituency when he was coming out after a meeting with senior officials like the District Magistrate and Chief Medical Officer in Narayangarh Block office.

Trinamool Congress and SUCI men, disgruntled over the alleged paucity of flood relief, started their agitation at the meeting place.

When Dr Mishra came out and tried to board his car he was confronted with a legion of agitators questioning the usefulness of such meetings. Some even went to the extent of pushing the minister and slapping on his head.

The policemen, few in number against the huge crowd, helped Dr Mishra board his car and drive away towards Kolkata.

The minister had earlier gone to Handla village in Narayangarh block and explained to an agitated gathering that calamities did not come with any warning.

''The Government is caught unaware by such flash flood and we are trying our best to give you relief,'' he said.

When contacted over telephone, Dr Mishra termed today's incident as ''unfortunate'' and said the state was trying to give adequate relief and medical aid to the afflicted people in his area.

''I have instructed District Magistrate N S Nigam the CMOH Kamal Kumar Bose to arrange for sufficient food, relief and medicine in the area,'' he said.

Earlier, on June 24 ministers Nandagopal Bhattacharya and Srikumar Chatterjee were gheraoed by flood victims in Tamluk in the same district demanding relief.

Meanwhile, the condition of flood-hit West Midnapur was improving slowly. The water level in fields and river has gone down as there was no rainfall in the last two days.

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